Red Queen Running
by OPYKJ
Summary: An adventure set just before the end of the episode 'Distant Origin', because one does not support heresy without consequences. Reset in early Season 5. Ultimately J/C.
1. Chapter 1- We are the Voth

_This was the first long story I wrote. I am re-posting it with some heavy re-editing. My greatest thanks to Helen8462 for doing a great beta on this re-write._

 _The story starts just before the end of "Distant Origin', then takes a darker turn._

 _Not a cross-over but there are some references to Jurassic Park. The first movie. Still the best._

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – We are the Voth**

Having assigned Gegen to a detention colony, Odala dismissed him from her mind and presence. The Voth councillors departed, murmuring among themselves.

Odala terminated the trial recording and sank back in the dais chair, watching the mammalian male in front of her. He had remained thankfully silent after his dramatic rendering of the fictitious Voth trek from what he called the Alpha Quadrant.

"I am not quite sure what to do with you all, human —"

"My name is Chakotay, Elder Odala."

She snapped her mouth, showing her displeasure at being interrupted. "Indeed, it is. Commander Chakotay," she added, emphasising his title.

Chakotay berated himself. This was not the place and time to antagonise the powerful Elder. He had been hoping that Odala would release Voyager to continue their homeward journey. With the ship gone from their territory, the only living proof of Gegen's theory of Distant Origin would disappear from the Voth consciousness. What else did she want?

"You serve another, a female of your species," the Voth said.

Chakotay nodded. "That is correct, Elder. Her name is Captain Janeway. She is —"

Odala turned away and commanded the sentries lining the room. "Guards, return this human to his ship." The Voth soldiers surrounded Chakotay. With Voyager embedded within the City Ship like an insect in amber, there was nothing he could do but follow them.

Once out of Voyager's transporter room, Chakotay hurried towards the bridge. The Captain needed to know about the Voth's blind preoccupation with Doctrine before meeting with Odala. He tapped his combadge while manoeuvring around a pair of Voth soldiers pacing the corridor. They seemed to be everywhere, their tall bodies intimidating but not overly aggressive.

"Chakotay to Captain Janeway."

The combadge remained silent.

"Captain, respond."

He breathed in slowly. "Chakotay to Tuvok. I am back on Voyager. I can't contact the Captain. Where is she?"

"I have unsettling news."

Chakotay slowed down his pace. The last time the Vulcan had used similar words, the Viidians were about to carve up Voyager's hull. "What is it?"

"It seems that the Captain, Seven and Lieutenant Torres are no longer on board Voyager."

Chakotay's heart ploughed through his chest as he reached the bridge. "Tuvok, what's our status?" he barked when the door opened.

The Security Chief stood up from the Captain's chair, and faced him with his usual calm. There was nobody else present.

"Welcome aboard, Commander. It is good to see you back."

Chakotay waved away the greeting.

"Voyager is currently ensconced within the Voth City Ship. Soon after docking, we were boarded by soldiers. Lt Paris attempted to blast a hole through the ship's hull, but was unsuccessful. We are locked out of all primary systems, apart from the environmental controls. As far as we can ascertain, the crew can move freely anywhere on Voyager but we cannot leave the ship."

Sitting down in his chair, Chakotay let out a sigh. "And the Captain?"

"Captain Janeway was in her ready room. I went to enquire about a security matter but she was no longer there. A search of the ship also failed to locate Seven of Nine and Lt Torres. Residual readings near their last known locations indicate the use of alien transporter technology. It is reasonable to assume it was Voth in origin."

The Voth Elder had made her move and Chakotay did not think she had invited three crew members to share her evening dinner. Odala manifestly wanted something more from the warm-blooded species she despised so much.

Guiltily, he realised that it was Kathryn's fate that most concerned him. All he wanted to do was storm back to the Voth Council chamber and demand her release. Only the fact that he had no idea how to get back there stopped him.

This was why Kathryn was not letting their relationship evolve further. His fear for her was clouding his thinking.

"Call a meeting of the senior officers, Tuvok. We need to get the ship and the crew out of the mess I put them in," Chakotay said, staring at the blank screen in front of him.

Tuvok did not move, his eyes focusing on a point well above Chakotay's head. "Commander, permission to speak freely."

Chakotay scrutinised him, but the Vulcan's face was unreadable. While he had never warmed to the Security Chief's distant manners, he had learnt over the years to value his tactical counsel.

"Permission granted."

"You are blaming yourself for what has happened to Voyager," Tuvok said. "And to the Captain," he added with a slight emphasis.

Chakotay could only drop his head. He had been expecting advice not counselling. For an unemotional being, Tuvok could be particularly insightful.

"The Voth streamed Mr Gegen's trial to Voyager's screens and we know of your assistance in his search for his people's ancestry. You found yourself in demanding circumstances, with no surety that you would see Voyager again, yet you upheld the truth. This is one of the most important duties of a Starfleet Officer. That the Voth elders did not choose to correctly interpret the plain facts about their true origin is none of your doing. Logic dictates that you are in no way responsible for Voyager's or the Captain's fate."

"No, Tuvok. I am responsible," Chakotay said, tapping his chest. "I willingly supported Gegen's belief in the Distant Origin hypothesis, without asking myself for one second where his research would lead to. He told me himself what he would be charged with heresy. Ancestry myths are powerful stories. Societies have gone to war to defend them and the Voth Council is manifestly not willing to accept any dissension."

He slammed his fist on the console. "Don't you see? Voyager would be on its way back towards the Alpha Quadrant by now, with the Captain safely on the bridge, if I'd been more cautious before unleashing my own tirade at the trial. The lives of the crew were not mine to trade for the truth on the Voth's origin."

Tuvok remained impassive. "Nevertheless, your conduct during the trial was exemplary. It is my opinion that the Captain would have acted exactly as you did had she been in your position."

Chakotay was left speechless for a few seconds. Those last words were high praise indeed because he knew their inherent accuracy. He also knew self-pity would not help Kathryn.

He stood with a resolute look on his face. "Thank you, Tuvok. I appreciate your support. Now, let's see what we can do to free the ship and our crew members."

###

"Captain, I was very impressed by the information we downloaded from your ship's database. I understand that the reconstructions of what you call dinosaurs are mostly based on fossilised bones."

Janeway could not read the Voth's body language, the differences with that of humans too great and her experience of the species too brief. She waited in silence. The Voth transporter's beam had taken her by surprise, but she was sure that the Elder had not swept her off Voyager's ready room to discuss Evolutionary Science 101. Chakotay was nowhere in sight and she only had Odala's word that he was back on Voyager. She hoped he was not sharing a prison cell with Gegen instead.

The Elder pressed a button on the table console. Holographic animals swirled around them, some the same height as the two humanoids in the chamber, others so huge that their real size could only be appreciated with the help of a scaled figure beside them. Janeway recognised the genome projection algorithm she'd used to extract the physical evolution of the Voth species only a few hours before.

"The species look very similar to those recorded in the Voth Annals, although there seems to be many more than what the Ancients describe. Of course, there are many mistakes." The Elder pressed another button and bright colours replaced ubiquitous grey skins, formidable horns grew on previously bare heads and large claws materialised at the end of muscular limbs. The demeanour of many of the animals changed, making them appear faster, meaner, much more powerful. "What are these strange fluffy scales on some of the smaller species?"

"These are called feathers," Janeway answered. "They were preserved as impressions in the stone around the fossilised remains. We think that these feathered dinosaurs were endotherms and the ancestors of an entire group of flying animals we now call birds." She noticed the Elder's third eyelid twitch.

"I saw from your ship's logs that you are a scientist, Captain Janeway. It may surprise you that I am one too. Or was rather, before I became Prime Elder. Our paleontological research has proven long ago that the Voth could not have originated in this region of space after many millennia spent digging up dozens of planets. This is of course a closely guarded secret only known to the highest initiates of the Circles of Science and to Council members. However, an absence of data did not allow us to determine where we did come from. Only Doctrine remained as the source of our knowledge."

"And now that you have the name and location of your ancestral planet of origin ...?" Janeway said neutrally.

She assumed the reason for her impromptu meeting with the Elder was to discuss Voyager's fate. Odala had dismissed the guards earlier on and the two leaders were alone in the chamber. If the Elder Council had not made its decision yet, she needed to be cautious.

The Prime Elder continued. "Doctrine states the Voth originated from the Mother Planet, which is located in a small planetary system close to our present location. We then colonised neighbouring systems once we acquired space flight capabilities. Suggesting a different interpretation of our sacred texts undermines our ancient and rightful claim over the vast territory we now hold. You see, human, why we cannot agree with Gegen's interpretation." The Elder inclined her head and looked straight at the woman.

Janeway remembered Odala had mentioned that motive at her compatriot's trial. She was not sure which of the quasi-religious belief or the lebensraum mandate was the most important in supporting the Voth' deep-seated conviction in their Doctrine, but she needed to make the most of the opportunity to reason with the Elder.

"Many civilisations have moved well beyond the borders of their planet of origin. Your people have travelled much longer distances than most but you have been here for millions of years, long before any of the space faring species who surround you now existed, let alone thrived. I don't see why your claim would be lesser—"

"Enough." Odala's jaws shut with a sharp clash of teeth and her face turned a deep purple.

"Claiming a shared ancestry with your pitiful warm-blooded species is the first step towards agreeing mammalians are our equals, accept your lot as allies, maybe even sit side by side in a federation of inferior species like yours. But there are too many of you. You breed like insects," the Elder said with disgust in her voice. "We would soon be swamped by hordes of barbarian mammalians eager to see us weaken and fall."

Odala drew to her full height, a few inches taller than the human in front of her. "As the representative of your people, do you renounce the belief that the Voth originated on the planet you call Earth? Please answer truthfully for the benefit of Council."

Janeway's heart sunk. As a Starfleet Captain, the truth was paramount but so was her crew's survival.

"Elder, we have protocols which prevent us from influencing the beliefs of the societies we encounter. We were drawn into this situation through no fault of our own and we will gladly set course away from your territory and never come back. With due respect, the Council of Elders should find this a reasonable course of action and—"

"NO." Odala said with finality.

"Like your male second in command, you are stubborn in your support of the Distant Origin heresy. Obviously it does not matter who is in charge among the warm-blooded. You are all treacherous savages, with brains too small to fully understand the higher reasoning of superior species. Hardly evolved at all, in fact. Some among Council may want to believe you to be more akin to children, worth guiding to greater things. I know better. I am not the leader of the most ancient civilisation in this region to let it crumble under an unholy wave of mammalian upstarts."

"Elder—"

"Silence. You are hereby found guilty of upholding and supporting heretic views of Doctrine. On behalf of Council and in my role as Prime Elder, I sentence you and your crew to hard labour for the remaining of your natural lives. Your ship and all that it contains will be destroyed."

Stunned, Janeway thought quickly. The Elder had never intended to discuss Voyager's fate. She had made her decision before Chakotay had even left the chamber. Leaning forward, her hands on the table, she talked in a low but firm voice.

"The Voth hold rational thinking very dear to proper governance. You know we are not a threat to all that you have achieved. You can't condemn my entire crew to such a horrific fate. I respectfully demand that you let me talk to the Council, Elder Odala, so that together we can find a solution that will satisfy the Voth and spare my crew."

"You are in no position to demand anything, Captain," the Elder said through bared teeth. "You forfeited your rights as soon as your Commander supported an attack against Doctrine. I should have sent him to hard labour immediately instead of letting him go back to your ship."

Janeway brushed away the thought that Chakotay was safe for the time being. She spoke quickly, playing for broke. "Do not sacrifice one hundred and forty sentient beings to a lingering death so far away from their home systems. Make an example of me, their leader, not of them. Sentence me to hard labour if you do so wish, but show mercy to the rest of my crew."

The Elder was ready to call the guards and declare an immediate start to the sentence. Janeway's words stopped her.

"You are full of surprises, human. While it pains me to admit it, there is some wisdom in your words. There might be some bleeding hearts among Council who could be uncomfortable with the severity of the sentence, even though they would have to agree with the guilty verdict."

She paused. "Although sending only one lawbreaker to detention would clearly be unsatisfactory. Heresy against Doctrine mandates a strong penalty."

Janeway waited, unwilling to jinx what could be freedom for her crew. She felt detached from her emotions. They were playing a game of chess with Voyager's crew, and she had been losing from the word go. She had made a promise to her people to get them back home. All other considerations, her life included, were inconsequential.

Odala's skin turned a lighter colour. Janeway was unable to determine its meaning until the Elder spoke again. The Voth was smiling.

"Once upon a time, we used to challenge emissaries from troublesome neighbouring systems to a survival test. We haven't done so for tens of revolutions. We've become too soft, I fear. However, this could be the time to reinstate one of our proudest rituals. A public demonstration of the fate of unbelievers and of the inherent weaknesses of mammalians will make it clear to all that we are the Voth, strong and powerful."

Maybe these humans had been brought to her for a purpose after all. She, the Prime Elder, could be the one to bring the Voth wrath onto the warm-blooded hordes, like her predecessors had done too many eons ago.

Her skin glowed.

"If undertaking this test means that Voyager and my crew are freed, I am willing to do so, Elder Odala. I thank you for showing compassion," Janeway said, bowing her head in a sign of respect.

The Elder snorted. "Do not thank me yet, Captain. You do not know what the Challenge entails." She lifted her clawed hand. "We will send three of you, no more, no less, to face the great beasts that dwell on the Mother Planet. We will watch your feeble efforts at survival from afar. When the Challenge ends with your deaths, as it has always done from times immemorial, it will show to all that Doctrine is inviolable and that Council decisions are absolute."

Odala tapped on the table twice, bringing in the guards. "Take her away to a holding cell."

On a nod from the Elder, they moved to the Captain's side and held her arms behind her back. Janeway struggled, pleading with Odala to let her go alone, more concerned about who would be sent from Voyager to their likely deaths than what the Challenge was about. The guards forcibly removed her from the room.


	2. Chapter 2 - Back to Basics

**Chapter 2 - Back to Basics**

Chakotay tossed and turned in his bed, unable to go to sleep. He finally gave up and left his quarters for the mess hall, hoping the walk would clear up his mind.

Looking through the round glass, he saw the ghostly figure of the Captain leaning against a porthole, a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. He stayed still for a few heartbeats, hoping against all logic that she was back. Then he turned away, overcome by a deep sense of loss. Kathryn was gone and despite Tuvok's logic, he could not help thinking he was responsible for her disappearance — that his actions at the trial had led to this.

Chakotay made for the bridge. The blank screen, an empty Captain's chair and the deserted consoles faced him like a silent indictment of his lack of progress. He started to analyse the reports trickling in from the senior officers after their meeting the evening before.

"Voyager is meant to fly," Tom had said. The crew certainly did not like the way the ship was kept captive as if digested by a malignant life form. The absence of their captain saddened them too, as it troubled their second in command.

The engines had been decoupled from the main computer, enabling an impulse start from a substitute system the Voth had not accessed. Carey and Vorik were now working on safeguarding the integrity of the engines during the start up. They were not optimistic about getting warp speed back in a hurry.

Thanks to Voyager' internal gyroscopes, Tom had found out that the City Ship was moving, while Kim had been able to access parts of the Voth computer system. Progress in decoding information was slow. Like their writing, the Voth database remained largely incomprehensible.

The Doctor was developing an anaesthetic that would selectively incapacitate the Voth guards. However, the Security Chief had concisely relayed the EMH's frustration at the lack of guinea pigs to test the various combinations he had created.

There had been no news from the Captain and the two other women. Every effort at communicating with the Voth guards on board Voyager had met with blank glares.

Chakotay put down the PADDs he had been reading.

 _Voth 1 Voyager 0._

 _###_

The animals bayed. The young ones scurried behind the massive protective bodies, poking their heads between legs the size of pine trees. A couple of adults moved forward and turned in unison, their long tails keeping the two-legged carnivores at bay. Heads low, the predators circled the herd, seeking an opening through a wall of tough hide and cable-like necks.

"They are killing machines, Captain. We don't stand a chance against them." B'Elanna stood beside Janeway, scowling at the scene unfolding on the vast plain below the women.

"By sticking to the river, we'll avoid most of the fray. We will survive."

"For the honour of the mammalians?" B'Elanna tightened a knot at the end of a long rope made of lianas.

"No," Janeway snorted. She took hold of a crude stone tool she had made earlier, and finished off removing the branches from the small tree leaning against her shoulder. "Something much more basic. Civilised societies don't throw strangers to the lions just to reinforce their beloved Doctrine."

"If they were lions, we'd have a pretty good chance. But those beasts..." B'Elanna yanked at the rope which resisted her efforts. "They are terrifying," she added, glancing back at the stand-off.

The predators had given up and loped off, looking for easier prey. Packs of tank-like herbivores turned their armoured heads towards them until they were long gone.

Moving to another fallen tree, Janeway broke off the thinner branches. "Probably a couple of Carcharodontosaurids or maybe a smaller tyrannosaurid species like good old T. rex. Difficult to tell."

Ignoring the sweat falling into her eyes, the Chief Engineer crouched on her heels and began braiding a second rope, choosing from a pile of vines Seven had gathered. "You mean that those Carcharo-something are bigger than a T. rex?"

"Some of them weighed up to ten tonnes and had a top speed of thirty miles an hour. Not to be trifled with. An individual could have easily tackled the triceratops we can see down there."

Irritated, B'Elanna shook her head. "I thought you were a hard science expert, not a paleontologist."

Janeway looked at her. "I spent a month at a dinosaur site during a summer camp holiday when I was a teenager. We were cataloguing dozens of fossilised tracks rather than digging up bones. The head paleontologist showed us how to read the impressions on the rocks and identify which species had made them."

She pushed an errand strand of damp hair off her brow, then attacked the thicker branches with the stone tool.

The three women were working on the shore of a large river, the lip of a waterfall a hundred metres away pushing a thin mist up high in the air. B'Elanna could hear Seven hacking away at the edge of the forbidding primeval forest, a tall wall of lush vegetation, dark and impenetrable.

Below the cascade, the landscape opened up to a vast plain of small trees and shrubs. Dinosaurs of all sizes peacefully grazed the tough foliage. Some were making their way to the water, leaving deep trails through the soft mud. The river meandered between low banks, disappearing in the hazy horizon. Tall peaks smouldered to the South.

That's where Janeway said they would go, once they finished the raft that would carry them down the river. B'Elanna thought it was a waste of time.

"What's the point of knowing the Latin name of the animal that's going to eat us?" she said, her mind raging at the gigantic planet and its no-less oversized inhabitants.

"It is always best to know your adversaries. Knowledge can only help us. I learnt a lot from Doctor Grant. He didn't suffer fools, especially young fools." Janeway said with a wistful tone. "There was another scientist working with him. A paleobotanist. She took me under her wing and taught me about the animals' diets, the plants that existed at the time, their evolutionary relationships with the flora we've got now on Earth. She was a great scientist."

Clouds obscured the sun. Not another shower, B'Elanna thought. She had been on this forsaken planet for less than a day and was already sick of the constant downpours, although the heat was a welcome relief from Voyager's cold corridors.

She missed Voyager.

"This is a paradise for a botanist. Looks like this planet is stuck in a Cretaceous equivalent. High temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide. Perfect climate for dinosaurs and their plant foods. She would have loved it here."

"Sounds like you had a crush on her," B'Elanna said.

Scientists! After what had befell her in the name of scientific truth, she was not too keen on scientists right at this point in time.

"It's been a long time since I've thought of Ellie, and yes, I am pretty certain I had a crush on her," Janeway said, with surprise showing on her face as if only now realising what her younger self had felt during a summer filled with happy memories and no intimation of a future in the Delta quadrant. She laughed an easy laugh and returned to her task of making the logs as straight and smooth as possible.

The younger woman observed Janeway more closely, surprised by the captain's openness. She knew her as a private person, attentive to others' needs but never disclosing much about herself.

Janeway had discarded her uniform jacket early in the morning as the day warmed up quickly. Her upper body was toned and shiny with sweat, her hair fluffing up in the humidity. Despite their predicament, the Captain looked strangely calm, contented almost.

Maybe knowing the ship would soon be safe was enough for the Captain. B'Elanna knew that it was not enough for her, even if she could not do anything about it.

"I wouldn't have thought you were attracted to women, Captain," she said in a light hearted way she hardly felt.

Janeway sat down on the stony ground in one elegant movement and cradled the long log with her legs. "I was fifteen. I don't think I really knew what my sexual preferences were at the time," she answered.

"What about you?" she added, not lifting her eyes from the work at hand. She was carving a notch at the end of the logs big enough to hold the twining cable the engineer was plaiting.

While wondering how to respond, B'Elanna stood up to let the circulation back in her legs. The rope she was making was nearly finished with only the end nooses to weave. Two done, two to go.

Janeway looked up with an enquiring smile and repeated her question. "Did you ever go on summer camps when you were younger?"

B'Elanna breathed in slowly, relieved and somewhat disappointed at the same time that the conversation was back to a more neutral subject. "Klingon youngsters don't really do summer camps. My mother sent me on hunting parties. To learn more about my heritage, I suppose. All the kids my age were part of the local hunting clan. I was the weakest of the group and never caught anything. That's probably why I don't like it here. Too many bad memories of ferocious animals chasing me when I was little."

Janeway stilled her hands. "I am sorry, B'Elanna. I didn't realise that Odala would send you here. If it is any consolation, I'm grateful to be able to count on your abilities and courage in the days to come."

She gave the younger woman the full benefit of her calm gaze. "Your skills would of more use on Voyager and you would be safer there, as well as being with Tom. You must miss him terribly."

B'Elanna could only nod. She'd been trying very hard not to think about Tom. And even if it wasn't really Janeway's fault if they were stuck on this dreadful planet, everything about it was getting on her nerves. The stink and noise from the alien wildlife. The way every water molecule in the air clung to her like a second skin. And Seven, even more arrogant than usual, disagreeing on every minor detail about the construction of the raft and the best way to get it down the waterfall.

Janeway picked up the rope and put the noose around the log she had just finished carving out. It fitted tightly. "I'll help you with that cable. Seven is coming back with more trees. We can plan our next move as we finish the raft."

###

"You are sure we have to go there?" B'Elanna asked. She was looking at a pin of light high above the plain but she could not guess its distance in the darkness. The beacon was slowly flashing on and off, on a frequency close to five minute as far as she could ascertain.

Janeway nodded, though the two women could not see her. They were standing on the edge of the cliff, their backs to the fire, looking at the small but powerful light signal they had discovered the night before, the only indication so far of any technology on the planet.

"We might be able to put whatever powers this beacon to good use for our long term survival." She did not want to send a signal to Voyager. Their life exile was the guarantee of the ships' freedom, but even if Odala had depicted the challenge as nothing less than a death sentence, she was not ready to throw the towel as yet. She needed to give Seven and B'Elanna a purpose for the long days ahead, and there was Seven's unusual requirements to think about.

"We've had our fill of being left on uninhabited planets with nothing. Why not give us a fighting chance in space?" B'Elanna protested.

"I wasn't given much chance to argue our case, unfortunately," the Captain answered quietly.

The Voth transporter had deposited the three women on the very same spot the day before. Materialising on top of a cliff, they had immediately gone into survival mode. A nearby overhanging rock face had become shelter, small fish in the river pools provided food, and the water tasted fresh. Janeway had not forgotten one lesson from the Kazon planet: she had managed to make a fire in very little time in between two downpours. Then they had gathered as much wood as possible to create a semi-circle of fire under the overhang.

The basics covered, Janeway had been enthralled at the sight of the dinosaurs below the rock face. The fascinating spectacle had also brought home the ridiculous oddity of their circumstances. Of all the planets to get marooned on, they had been left on a replica of Earth, sixty-five million years younger than the one Voyager was trying to reach so desperately. The Delta Quadrant kept on throwing some weird situations at them, but that one topped the lot.

There had been no dusk to speak of and swarms of giant mosquitoes forced them to take refuge closer to the fire. It was during a foray to get fresh leaves to out smoke the biting insects that Janeway glimpsed the light, flashing slowly like a light house calling lost ships to harbour.

Using sticks held up by small rocks, she carefully fixed the beam's height and direction relative to their position. Then she went to sleep near the fire, spending her first night on this strangely familiar world.

The following morning, she had her answer: the source of the light was up a massive volcanic peak standing proud above the plain, its base hidden behind the horizon. She could not be sure of the distance to travel. Everything was on a bigger scale on this planet. The skyline looked to her to be much further away than on Earth, capped by huge thunderclouds. Even the mountain stood notably taller than the ranges she had climbed back home.

All they had to do was to get to it. A small journey compared to that of Voyager, but no less dangerous.

"Your strategy to reach the beacon by using the river is sound," Seven said.

Janeway sensed the former drone was not comfortable with her decision to use the waterway to get close to the base of the volcano. Something was bothering her protégée but she had no idea what it could be. Seven had been argumentative from the time Janeway had explained her plan. After one too many disagreements with B'Elanna, the former Borg had kept to herself, choosing to fell saplings and gather vines away from the river where the now finished raft was gently bobbing.

"Seven, do you know how to swim?" Janeway asked, scolding herself for not seeing the bleeding obvious.

The young woman shuffled beside her. "The Borg do not see the need to partake in such a wasteful activity as they do not assimilate aquatic species," the former drone said testily.

"So, no, I do not know how to swim, Captain," she added in a fainter voice, clearly mortified by what was a damning failure in her mind. "I will be an impediment during your travel. I request that you leave me here."

B'Elanna snorted but had the presence of mind not to say anything. Janeway smiled despite herself. It was not often that Seven admitted to a weakness. Even though she rarely flaunted her formidable physical attributes, many crew members had found out, sometimes to their detriment, that she was considerably stronger and quicker than they expected. Being found wanting on something as simple as swimming was a new experience for her.

"It's only a matter of time before the local fauna pays us a visit and we are forced out of this camp. Staying put is not an option. We stay together." Janeway said, putting her hand on the Borg's shoulder.

They walked back towards the fire. "We have a long day in front of us tomorrow. You better catch some rest. I'll take first watch."

"As I mentioned yesterday, I do not require sleep, Captain. I'll keep watch for the night."

Before Janeway had time to react, Seven moved to stand apart from the two women. B'Elanna shrugged and made herself comfortable on a bed of leaves.

Janeway sat down for a while, watching the beacon on its lone vigil. The lump on her forearm was warm and tender.


	3. Chapter 3 - A Time for News

**Chapter 3 – A time for news**

Tom's report had been short. The City Ship, with Voyager in its belly, was heading towards a nearby planetary system. The sole planet in its habitable zone displayed no distinguishing features. It had an almost vertical axis with a rotation period of 30.2 hours. Gravity was similar to Earth's despite the planet's much larger size, and the atmospheric composition was suitable for human life.

"What is strange is what's not there," the pilot said, swivelling on the helm chair. "From what I can gather from the City Ship's external sensors, there are no settlements on the planet and no space traffic around it. The whole system is empty of any activity."

"The length of the day cycle on the Voth ship is the same as that planet's rotation period. Most warp capable species keep their day length the same as the planet they originated from. Maybe this is one of the first planets the Voth settled when they arrived in this quadrant, millions of years ago," Chakotay mused.

"Without more information, your assumption remains highly speculative," Tuvok cautioned.

Chakotay ignored the common-sense rebuff. If this planet was important enough for the vast City Ship to set course towards it, any speculation was welcome. "Any idea what this system's called?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "Sorry, Commander. The computer is still having problems translating Voth script. We just don't have enough audio recordings of their written words. We need more time."

Tom let out a loud sigh. He was getting frustrated, his concern for B'Elanna evident to all. "I say we blast our way through the City Ship cargo bay door we've found. We'll be able to locate the Captain, Seven and B'Elanna once we are out of here."

"Even if we were successful in 'blasting our way through' as Mr Paris suggests, we may well lose any chance to get our three missing crew members back to Voyager with the City Ship pursuing us," Tuvok warned from his console.

His meditation session the evening before had been particularly unsatisfying. The thought that he might not see the Captain again had brought a deep sorrow to his mind. The void left behind by her disappearance was unsettling him more than he cared to contemplate. However, he owed her not to let his irrational thoughts cloud his judgement.

Chakotay agreed with Tuvok's analysis. He did not intend to follow Tom's suggestion. At least not yet. "Harry, any luck accessing the City Ship internal sensors?"

"No Commander. We are still completely cut off from that part of their computer. However, we should —"

The blank screen came back to life. The Voth Council symbol appeared, soon followed by the Prime Elder herself, sitting in the same chair Chakotay had seen her last.

"Human," Odala said without wasting time. "Two cycles ago, your captain was made aware that she and her entire crew had been found guilty of heresy against Doctrine. The sentence passed was hard labour on a detention colony for the rest of your lives and the destruction of your ship."

Harry remained standing by will power alone. The little chance they had had to get back to Earth was now gone, obliterated by the kind of narrow-minded species that seemed a constant in the Delta quadrant.

He glanced at the others on the bridge. Tom's shoulders were sagging. Blood had drained from Chakotay's face as he sat completely still in his command chair. Tuvok was his usual inscrutable self, a tapping finger the only indication he was not as calm as he appeared.

"However," the Elder continued, "the decision was rescinded following your captain's appeal for clemency. Your ship is to be escorted to the border of our territory, never to return to this region of space."

Chakotay inclined his head. "Thank you, Elder Odala. We will be on our way as soon as our three crew members are back on Voyager."

There was something wrong with the way the Elder was watching him. He waited for the news that were sure to come. The news he had been dreading since Kathryn had disappeared.

"You do not understand, human. In return for our leniency, your captain has agreed to undergo the Challenge. The three representatives of your species are now on the Mother Planet. They will never leave."

Feeling sick to the core, all Chakotay could hear was that the Captain had sacrificed herself once again to save her crew. "We will not depart until they are returned to us, Elder Odala. We are one crew, one people. We will not abandon them."

Odala leaned forward, baring her teeth. "Their fate is no longer your responsibility. The Council's judgement is final. Your three crew members will spend what very short life they have left demonstrating your species' inherent inferiority as Council watches them submit to the rules of the Challenge. Any indication that you intend to attack the escort ships or try to escape on your way back to the border will be met with overwhelming force. The original sentence of life detention will be handed to the survivors. Without any recourse this time."

She backed off slightly, looking smug. "Instead, you may want to reflect on your crew's good fortune to find the Voth to be such a compassionate people and let your crew go unharmed and free."

Before Chakotay could react, the screen went blank.

 _###_

"Captain, we are being watched," Seven said in a low voice. She retrieved the long pole she had just driven into the riverbed, discreetly pointing out the position of a small flying object, almost invisible in the late afternoon sun.

Janeway nodded. "I noticed it this morning. It seems to come and go." Bracing her bare feet on the logs, she leaned her whole weight against the pole she was holding. The raft had survived the drop over the waterfall without incidents. They had then ridden out the first few kilometres of small rapids at a brazen speed, but the river had then widened considerably, the current slowing down to a sluggish pace. The women had been punting for much of the past two days, close to the bank where the river was shallower.

Right now, B'Elanna was keeping an eye out obstacles at the front of the raft. A flimsy frame covered with vegetation provided some camouflage from the large herds of animals spread on each side of the river. So far, only the flies had given the women grief, crawling into their eyes, noses and mouths and driving them crazy. They had resorted to starting a small smoky fire using a flat stone as a base despite the heat surrounding them like a blanket. It helped a little.

"What do you think it may be?" Seven asked. She could hear a faint buzzing noise hardly noticeable above the shrilling voices of the local insect population. "I thought there was no technology on this planet, apart from the beacon."

"I think this object is a transmission device, like the public eyes we have on Earth to record news. Odala did tell me that we would be watched. She's keen to show Council and others that we are going to fail." Janeway gently waved her hand as a dragonfly with the wingspan of a hawk hovered noisily just in front of her face.

"Should I destroy this eye, Captain?" Keeping track of the object's distance and speed, Seven balanced the pole in her hands, feeling the heft of it.

"No, don't," Janeway said quickly. "It is part of the bargain. We don't know how long it will take Voyager to reach the Voth border. In the meantime, we can't do anything that may put the crew's lives into jeopardy."

Seven relented. After watching the drone for a few more seconds, the two women fell back into the rhythm of pushing the raft downstream. The banks were steeper and the current picked up, Janeway thankful for the slight speed they were gaining. Much of the day had been back-breaking work. Added to her weariness, her forearm ached with every movement.

"Isn't it likely that the Commander will try to rescue us?" Seven asked, seemingly ready to continue punting effortlessly for another day.

She looked the perfect picture of an Oxford student, thought Janeway, feeling slightly jealous of the young woman's total immunity to the hot and humid conditions. Apart from a few blond tendrils that had managed to escape from her bun, Seven wore her tight suit with her usual elegance. She was also the only one still sporting her boots, balancing perfectly on the slippery logs. In contrast, Kathryn was sweaty, dirty and worn-out. And if B'Elanna's irritable attitude was an indication, the half-Klingon was feeling the same.

"With the safety of the crew at stake? No, Tuvok will see the logic in complying with the Voth orders. He knows Voyager can't fight the City Ship."

"No doubt Commander Tuvok will seek to avoid additional crew losses. I was however referring to Commander Chakotay. I believe he will not be content with the situation," Seven countered.

Janeway flinched at this blunt analysis. As much as she could count on Tuvok following protocols, she was also certain that Chakotay was thinking hard on how to get the women back. After all, she had once put the ship in jeopardy to get him back when he had sacrificed himself to confront the Kazon. But it had been a completely different set of circumstances, with Voyager a fair match for the Kazon ships. She was hoping that he would realise that, although this time there were three lives at risk.

One? Three? What was the magic number? She had navigated that familiar conundrum many times over the past five years. Even one life was precious if only because Voyager could not afford to lose anybody with talents like those of B'Elanna or the unique insights Seven had brought with her from the Borg collective. Of all three, she was the one who was most easily replaceable. Damn Odala for not letting her undergo the Challenge alone.

"It would have been less difficult a decision for Chakotay to make if B'Elanna and you hadn't been brought into this. Voyager will miss your skills."

"It is true that Lt Torres' loss will be felt as Mr Carey cannot match her expertise and command style. Ensign Kim on the other hand has become quite proficient at using the Astrometrics lab. He will continue my work to an acceptable level. Voyager's crew will learn to adapt to our absence, Captain," the former Borg drone concluded.

"You are right Seven. With time, I am sure the crew will be more than capable in replacing us." Janeway smiled sadly. "But it is our friends who will miss us the most, as we miss them."

"In that case, Commander Chakotay would organise a rescue for you, would he not?"

Kathryn opened her mouth and then closed it again. Talking to Seven was like being punched in the gut at times. The young woman could shift from being boldly insensitive to people's emotions, to revealing a keen sense of observation of others' feelings. The same feelings that Kathryn had been trying very hard to push aside since being marooned on another planet with a very thoughtful First Officer and a deep bathtub.

B'Elanna called from the front of the raft, saving Janeway from a response. "It will soon be night. There's a sand bar ahead. Less chance to get unwanted guests on board if we land there than if we try the river banks."

Guided by B'Elanna, the two women manoeuvred the unwieldy craft across the strong current. When the raft hit the sandy shore, Janeway lost her balance. Grabbing her right arm, Seven pulled her back to the safety of the craft.

Janeway dropped on the logs, unable to suppress a cry of pain.

"Captain, I have damaged you," Seven said, a look of concern on her face.

"No, I am all right Seven. It's nothing," Janeway responded between gritted teeth.

She could feel the raft moving away from the sand bar. She tried to get up but collapsed again, the pain and day's exertions making her feel light-headed. "You need to secure the raft," she said with an urgent tone.

Seven called for B'Elanna and for a few minutes it looked like the women's efforts would end up in failure, but they managed to beach the raft on the edge of the shoal. Jumping off, Seven fastened an anchor rope to a stump embedded in the sand.

B'Elanna squatted near Janeway, pulling gently on her right hand.

"Captain, why didn't you say something?" the half-Klingon said, appalled at the sight of a long reddish bulge on the inside of Janeway's forearm. The angry swelling started near the elbow and run down to the wrist.

"It's only an abscess. It will burst when it's ready," Janeway said, struggling to stand up.

B'Elanna held her firmly down. Once reassured the Captain was not going anywhere, she started gently pressing the warm skin with probing fingers.

"I can feel muscles pushing against the skin. There is an abscess all right but it's too deep to rupture by itself. There's something in there causing the inflammation. It needs to come out."

Janeway tried in vain to regain possession of her limb. "One of the Voth guards inserted something in my arm when I was detained on the City Ship. I think it is a tracking implant so the eye can find us anytime they want. We can't risk removing it."

"But you may not heal properly. If we do nothing the infection will spread and you may lose the use of your arm," B'Elanna argued.

"No. We must follow their rules," Janeway said, leaning her head against the wooden frame. The forearm had swollen markedly over the past two days, and the throbbing pain was getting wearisome. Maybe B'Elanna had a point. "What about opening the abscess and draining it? Without taking the implant out."

B'Elanna shook her head, dumbfounded by the Captain's stubbornness. "All right," she said, defeated. "Seven, we need a sharp blade to lance the abscess and a small tube. If we can't get the device out, I should at least be able to reduce the swelling."

She sat down to get a better look.

"Where did you learn so much about being a field medic? I thought Tom was the chosen one," Janeway asked with a small smile. She was feeling nauseous.

"We didn't always have access to good doctors in the Maquis, so we all had to learn the basics. Wounds, phaser burns, broken bones, that sort of things," B'Elanna answered, noticing the Captain's paleness.

After a few tries, Seven fashioned a thin blade from one of the lumpy stone tools they had brought on board. She placed the blade in the flames to disinfect it, then cut the ends of a small reed with the heated stone. The primitive instruments were quickly ready. B'Elanna washed her hands, using drinking water they had collected before pushing the raft down the waterfall.

"Seven, you'll need to hold her upper arm and wrist tight. Sorry Captain, this is going to hurt."

"I understand. Do your best, B'Elanna."

Seven sat behind the Captain, looking for the best way to restrain Janeway while not hindering Torres' work. She put her left arm across the woman's chest holding the upper arm firmly. Her right hand closed around the captain's wrist like a vice.

For the first time since they had arrived on the planet, she found herself grateful for B'Elanna's presence. Lt Torres had a depth of skills and strength that was remarkable for somebody so irritating.

"I am ready," she said.

B'Elanna did not waste time. She cut the swollen skin without hesitation and went through the hard muscles underneath as fast as she could, while avoiding the arteries. Janeway could not help but scream. She struggled to move away from the searing pain, fighting against Seven's powerful hold. B'Elanna thanked the Voth under her breath for having sent the former drone instead of a weaker and more emotive crew member.

A thick yellow discharge started to ooze out of the wound, mixing with the blood flow. Ignoring the foul smell and Janeway's strangled moans, B'Elanna continued to cut along the length of the abscess. She then pushed her finger into the gaping hollow, breaking away the thin tissues inside and pushing as much pus out as she could, avoiding jarring the hard implant lodged between the two bones. She could feel waves of shudders going through the injured woman.

When the ghastly flow finally stopped, B'Elanna poured warm water into the cavity, flushing it thoroughly. She then fashioned a tight bandage out of a length of her uniform top, keeping one end of the reed inserted deep inside the wound, the other flat against the captain's wrist.

"We'll need to clean the wound two or three times a day and replace the drain. You are off punting duties for a while, Captain," she said.

Janeway did not respond. Her eyes lost focus, her skin turned clammy. The two young women exchanged an anxious look.

"She's in shock. Lay her on her back and put something under her feet to raise them," B'Elanna ordered.

Seven let Janeway fall gently backwards onto the deck, while B'Elanna grabbed the other pieces of clothing they had discarded early in the day, and placed them on top of the injured captain. She sat, wiping Janeway's brow as the woman mumbled indistinct words.

"She looks younger," Seven said softly. She had brought a couple of pitch torches which she rammed between the logs, before lighting them.

B'Elanna looked up in surprise.

"Without the uniform, and the thoughts always under control, she looks younger, more...fragile."

Seven knelt, hands in her lap. "I've never thought of her as anything but the Captain. Strong, determined. In the beginning, I believed her cruel to have severed me from the Borg collective. Then I thought she was an ineffective leader to spend so much time arguing with me. I fought her and her humanity."

Hesitant, she took Janeway's hand into hers, the metal enhancements glowing in the light of the torches. "She's always been there for me even when I didn't know myself I required her help. I've never thought she might... one day..." She did not finish her thoughts.

B'Elanna felt a pang of anxiety. Seven's disquiet reflected her feelings too well. It was not the Captain they were holding tightly to, but a warm compassionate woman, devoted to a fault to her crew, and who needed care and attention in a rare role reversal. She realised that, like Seven, she had no idea of what they would do if Kathryn was not to recover.

She nodded. "Listen Seven. I'm sorry about the way I've been treating you these last few days."

"Your behaviour towards me has been no different from before," Seven noted with a thin smile, her gaze still fixed onto the pale woman.

The half-Klingon winced. "Yes, well, maybe. But the result is that we did not make it easier for Kathryn."

"I concur. Our hostility towards each other forced her to punt without rest, while she rostered us on the less strenuous prow watch."

It was all her fault, B'Elanna thought. It was not like she did not know of Kathryn's propensity to push herself too hard. Trust an injured Janeway to take on the load of a half-Klingon fifteen years younger, and that of a former Borg bristling with strength-enhancing implants.

"I'm worried about infection. We've got nothing to fight it," she said overcome by grief. The Maquis had lost more people during ground attacks from infections and diseases than from direct Cardassian fire. She had never got used to the sight of close friends fading away, often unaware of their comrades once the fever got a hold on them.

"With your care, the Captain will come through this, B'Elanna." The blond woman stood up. "You are tired. I'll prepare food. We need sustenance for the day ahead."

B'Elanna watched Seven disappear in the shadows and smiled. Seven was all right, once you got past the metal-encasing exterior. She should have trusted Jthe Captain's instincts. Kathryn seemed to have the knack for taking in stray souls and finding the good in each one of them, a half-Klingon included.

Seven soon announced their meal was ready. Although still not comfortable eating, she forced herself to take a few bites. Their survival on this planet depended on their small collective of three to remain strong and united.

Janeway tossed in her uneasy sleep.


	4. Chapter 4 - A Rescue Plan of Some Sort

**Chapter 4 – A rescue plan of some sort**

"This line of thinking is not constructive."

"What do you mean 'not constructive'? We need to get them back."

"While your loyalty to the missing crew members is commendable, your plan is unsound. It will surely lead to the ship being seized again or destroyed. I do not need to remind you of the consequences for the crew."

"Oh! So we do nothing. Well, I can tell you—"

"You know, a better idea might be—"

"That's getting us nowhere—"

"Bloody stubborn—"

"THAT. IS. ENOUGH."

Chakotay thumped his fists on the Officers' room table, his eyes glaring at the four men mulling around. They stopped in their tracks, stunned by his outburst. It was not often they saw the Commander's ire at close quarters. One by one, they sat down in silence, awed by the large angry man dominating the room.

For all they knew, Voyager was only hours away from the border, and they still didn't have any rescue plan in sight. All he was getting were half-baked ideas that would get the crew imprisoned or killed, not to mention the three missing women would then be lost for good.

Neelix, Tom, Tuvok, Harry. They all were looking at him, expecting a miracle like the Captain used to keep up her sleeve when the odds were monumentally against Voyager surviving yet another disaster.

Except she didn't have to get angry, he thought as he sank back in his chair, pushing a hand through his short cropped hair. She could tease out the possible from the idiotic out of each and everyone's contributions and then make the final decision, always displaying confidence in their eventual success. She was —.

He bowed his head. Spirits, why was he thinking of Kathryn in the past tense?

He could not let her down. He could not abandon her. There must be some trick they could pull out. To save her. To save them all.

He put his hand up to signal he did not want any interruption. "Tuvok is right. We can't fight the Voth as long as we are in their territory. The four escort ships outgun us. Even if we were to get the engines back to full warp capability, we'd be dead or captured without able to put up a fight. Once outside their territory, we'll still have the same problem. They know Voyager and they will have us on their sensors half a light-second after we cross their borders," he summarised.

"So we need another angle. Tom, what about taking a shuttle?"

"The Voth have access to Voyager's computer system and therefore to the flyers'. We can't use the shuttles without them knowing even if we could find a way of getting under their noses," Paris said.

He had hardly slept since B'Elanna had disappeared. He was sure the Captain would have already found a way to rescue three of her crew members if she had been in charge.

No, that was not fair on Chakotay. Their situation was hopeless. The safety of the crew was at stake here. It wasn't like a space battle where Voyager often had a good chance of fighting back, thanks to a captain who was a master tactician, a pilot with nerves of steel and a Chief Engineer who… He stopped his rambling thoughts. He did not want to go there.

"We have something else," Harry exclaimed. "Neelix' ship. The Voth don't know it exists because it's never been linked to Voyager's systems."

Neelix jumped up, all excited. "That's an excellent idea, young man. Your flyers are great machines of course but my ship has been through its fair share of tricky situations. I'll be happy to put it at your service. With myself at the helm of course," he added with much less confidence.

While Voyager was a flying marvel, the Baxial was his ship. The warp engine was a bit sluggish at times and the environmental controls were not exactly up to Starfleet standards. There were no transporters or replicators. Using the Baxial for a rescue mission would not be a picnic but there was more at stake here than his own comfort.

They needed to get the Captain back because…, well because she was the Captain. He had a great deal of admiration for her. He had also grown fond of the Chief Engineer who always refused to let him touch anything the rare times he was in Engineering but absolutely loved his banana pancakes. The Borg woman? She was okay. If you liked walking icicles. Anyway, they were from Voyager and as a fully recognised crew member and senior officer, he was duty-bound to help them.

"The idea has some merit," Tuvok conceded to everyone's surprise. "However, the Talaxian ship will be no match for our escorts. The Voth are sure to detect it when it leaves Voyager. It will not survive their fire power."

"We could disguise it," Tom said, a shrewd look on his face. "Let it pass for something it's not. I've noticed the Voth ships empty their bilge tanks in space once a cycle. Some of the stuff they are getting rid of is the size of a small planetoid. They probably use this remote area of space for their annual spring-cleaning. Anyway, the Baxial could drift into the waste stream with the engines off, using all that rubbish as a cloak and then turn to the Mother Planet once far enough away from the Voth ships. I saw that manoeuvre used once."

He was not going to tell them he'd seen that trick in a movie from Voyager's 20th century recreational database, about an evil empire and a ruggedly handsome pilot.

Chakotay sat up, seeing a ray of hope. "All right, that sounds like a plan. We need to know when the next waste dump will happen and from which escort ship."

"I'll take care of that," Tom said. "I'll also download all we have on the Mother Planet and Voth shipping routes close to that system into the Baxial. The Voth may not like mammalians but they allow a lot of inbound trade."

He looked at Chakotay, a look of desperation in his eyes. "Commander, I'm a better pilot than Neelix. Let me take the helm."

The Commander shook his head. "Neelix knows his ship. He'll be the pilot but you'll be coming as field medic. Our missing crew members may need medical attention. Get the Doctor to give you all the supplies you need." He smiled at seeing Tom's boyish grin for the first time since B'Elanna's disappearance.

"Harry, you'll stay on Voyager. Help Neelix ensure the Baxial is fully prepared for a few days' mission. Avoid bringing anything on board that would scream 'Voyager' on sensors. We'll leave our combadges behind."

"Will do sir," Harry answered. Although disappointed not to go with the others, he knew there was not much space in the freighter's cramped living quarters.

Chakotay stood up at the head of the table. "You are dismissed. Tuvok, I need to speak to you."

The two men faced each other across the table in the now empty room.

"You intend to go with Mr Neelix and Lt Paris," the Vulcan said.

Chakotay straightened up, ready to mow down any suggestion his decision was the wrong one. "Yes. Tom and Neelix can't do this alone. I know it goes against all Starfleet regulations for the second-in-command to leave the ship in such a situation, but I have to go."

"I understand Commander."

"You do?" Chakotay asked, surprised the Chief Security was ready to let him bend the rules so easily.

"Like Captain Janeway, you are a very determined individual once you've made your mind up. It is also my observation that you harbour feelings for the Captain which will make you disregard much of what I might have to say. Therefore, trying to keep you on Voyager would be an unproductive endeavour on my part."

"Thank you Tuvok," Chakotay admitted. Once again, the Vulcan's insights were a revelation, but he decided not to pursue that line of discussion. This was not the time to dawdle. "We have more to discuss."

He looked at the blank viewport, unconsciously imitating Janeway's posture when she pondered a difficult decision.

"Once Voyager crosses the border, I want you to find a safe but discreet harbour close by. You'll need time to get all systems back online. Keep a full sensor sweep to locate the Baxial, and come and get us after we leave Voth space in case the Voth decide to pursue us. I am pretty certain they'll count their losses and turn back home once they find themselves outside of their territory, even if Odala is eager to make an example of us."

"I concur with your analysis, Commander. However, your chances of getting within range of the Mother Planet are very low according to my calculations. The Voth scanning technology is formidable and the Baxial is not renowned for its speed or fighting capabilities."

Chakotay smiled. It was a good feeling to be one step ahead of the Vulcan. He turned away from the dark space outside. "Obfuscation, Tuvok."

The Vulcan's eyebrow rose half an inch.

"The Voth space is huge, with dozens of systems. It's very likely that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing in such a vast territory. Add a large dose of Neelix' best impressions of a bewildered trader if we get hailed, and I think we have a good chance to get to the Mother Planet without incident, or at least close to it. Getting out may be another matter. We will need to improvise."

Tuvok nodded his agreement. "There is no doubt that Mr Neelix is very good at confusing anybody with a modicum of rationality. And Mr Paris' creative mind will be more an asset in this undertaking than if he was to stay on Voyager. You have chosen your team well. I will revise the odds of this mission."

Chakotay could see how an unflappable Vulcan with a sense of humour could have become the close advisor and friend of a spirited captain.

His mood darkened again at the thought of Janeway. "One more thing. Your main responsibility will be to keep Voyager safe. In no circumstances will you send another rescue mission after us. If we aren't back within six days, you'll resume course for the Alpha Quadrant. You will not wait for us. That's an order, Tuvok."

"Understood, Commander."

"You have your orders, Tuvok. Dismissed."

The Vulcan inclined his head and left the room. Chakotay watched the door closing silently.

The rescue mission was reckless but his fate was not with Voyager. His only regret was that if he failed he would bring two good men to die with him.

 _If I ever see Kathryn again, she'll chop my head off._

He smiled to himself. _Before or after conceding she had once done the same for me?_

 _###_

The animal's front limbs turned inwards, sharp claws glistening in the rain. Mesmerising waves of orange moved across its drenched skin. Head cocked, it sniffed the air and intelligent golden eyes followed the woman's movements. It did seem more hesitant than aggressive.

She noticed the oversized toe claws on the feet of its muscular back legs, and the long balancing tail swooshing in the sand. For a primitive species, it appeared to be an extremely effective hunting animal. Only then did she realise that she was more than likely its intended prey.

"Seven, don't turn your back on it. Walk slowly back towards us," Janeway shouted from the boat. She stood near a pile of branches at the front of the raft, while the other two women had gone to shore to replenish their firewood. The Chief Engineer had found an inventive way to disinfect the water from the river but they needed dry wood, which was not easy to come by in the wet climate.

"B'Elanna, look for others like it, hiding."

B'Elanna pointed out dark silhouettes in the trees a few metres ahead of their companion, the tropical deluge masking their numbers.

"Seven, RUN."

The Borg woman turned around and raced faster than Janeway had ever seen a human sprint. Two raptors leapt out of the forest after her, but the soft sand slowed them down. One of the animals fell over itself in a tangled mess of limbs and tail. The individual that had distracted Seven joined the pursuit.

Janeway and B'Elanna pushed the raft away from the riverbank as Seven leaped on the logs. Thinking its prey cornered, the lead raptor jumped and landed just behind the woman, its bulk rocking the raft dangerously. The flimsy hut collapsed, waves swamping the fire.

The animal's back legs slipped on the wet timber leaving Seven time to scramble out of its reach. The dinosaur soon righted itself, its back claws locking into the space between the logs. It made a loud clicking sound and the other raptors called back from the beach, easily keeping pace with the moving raft.

The two women came to stand by Seven's side as the animal's haunches quivered. It was ready to pounce, its body now a magnificent shade of red.

Seven grabbed a pole and raised it like a spear, certain that nothing could stop an attack. The other two women did the same. They were not ready to die without a fight despite the overwhelming odds against them.

The animal lowered its head and tail, its skin fading to a pale grey. Before Janeway could stop them, B'Elanna and Seven both crept forward, spears at the ready. Hissing sorrowfully, the raptor backed off to the end of the raft and then threw itself in the river, swimming back to the shore to join its companions. A few seconds later, they all disappeared into the darkness of the trees.

The three women found themselves alone, the rain settling down around them. The raft picked up speed in the strong current.

"That was too close." B'Elanna sat down, arms around her knees. "Much too close." She put her head down, her breathing laboured. She had not taken the time to think, simply reacting to protect Kathryn and Seven. The contemptuous attitude of that animal towards those it considered small and puny brought back memories she preferred to forget. This planet was really, really pissing her off.

Seven's legs were feeling weak, an alien sensation she found thoroughly unpleasant.

What she had just experienced was pure biological perfection. The animals that had chased her were the ultimate product of tens of millions of years of evolution on this planet, and Earth before that. Their genetic makeup was in an endless race to adapt, each generation of predators selected by changes in their prey and their environment. _The weak will perish_ was a hard lesson to learn.

She was not looking forward to another encounter.

Janeway watched the banks grey with rain pass by, letting the raft and her thoughts carry her away from what might have happened. Instead, she focused on a scientific puzzle.

From what she had seen so far and what she remembered from that summer camp all those years ago, the food web on the Mother Planet was too bottom heavy. Apart from the couple of T-Rex they had seen from the top of the waterfall all these days ago, they had encountered no predators until now. The Voth had probably been very selective in what animals they had brought with them from Earth, but she found it strange nothing had evolved since to fill in the empty niches.

Or maybe there were even more dangerous hunters around. Secretive super-predators capable of keeping the populations of T-Rex and raptors under control. She did not relish the thought of coming across such animals.

The rain stopped. She got up and started to take stock of what was left of their gear. Most of the wood was gone, tossed in the river when the raptor had landed heavily on the raft. The fire was out and half of the drinking water containers had disappeared.

She repressed a flicker of anger. B'Elanna's and her own pair of boots were missing. An attack by predatory dinosaurs was something she had been expecting since landing on that god-forsaken planet barely eight cycles prior. If she'd been alone, she might even have welcomed the one-sided fight and its inevitable end. But her plan to reach the beacon had not included trampling up the side of a steep volcano barefoot.

Once again dusk crept quickly upon the women. B'Elanna and Seven beached the raft on a shoal in the middle of the river, carefully inspecting the shore for any trace of danger. Satisfied, they settled down for the night.

B'Elanna re-started the fire. "How did you know to look for more of these beasts?" she asked Janeway who helped by feeding sticks into the flames.

"Something Doctor Grant showed me at that summer camp I talked to you about. There was a long straight line of prints from a big herbivore, walking slowly on all fours, probably grazing. You could see the deeper impressions in the stone where it stopped. Facing it were the two-toed footprints of a single Velociraptor, the same species or a very close relative to the animals that attacked us. Dr Grant pointed out the raptor was too small to tackle a large animal by itself. He then showed us the running tracks of other raptors coming straight at the flanks of the grazer. One at the front to divert the attention of their prey, three or four jumping from the sides. A very effective strategy from a very intelligent animal."

"I am thankful for your teacher's expertise and your excellent memory," Seven said. She put rocks into the fire before dropping them in bamboo cylinders. The water hissed and bubbled.

"It doesn't explain why they suddenly ended their attack, though," Janeway wondered. "Nothing should make these animals change their minds once they locate a prey. Something spooked them."

"The raptor did look uncertain when it met Seven. Maybe the one that jumped on the raft got second thoughts when we appeared?" B'Elanna dropped a clean rag into the hot water.

"I believe that animal was ready to attack all three of us by then. It's only when we raised our poles that it backed off," Seven said, threading skewers through a couple of plate-sized fishes. With the help of a stick, she swept a few coals onto a flat stone and place the skewers on top of them.

"That's it!" Janeway exclaimed. "We raised our poles as if we were going to throw them at the animal. Then it took off and its friends with it."

"Well, the poles would not have helped us much. They are too blunt to be used as spears. Maybe clubs, but not good throwing them without sharpening the ends first," B'Elanna noted.

She untied the bandage around Janeway's arm. Two days of enforced rest had helped the Captain regain some of her strength and she had submitted to B'Elanna's skilled ministrations without protest, to the surprise of the amateur medic.

The cloth was soaked with fresh blood but the wound underneath had a healthy colour and was closing around the drain. Holding Kathryn's arm firmly above the elbow, B'Elanna yanked the small tube out and then proceeded to clean the wound with the warm sterile water. She pressed down as much as she dared, earning herself a dirty look from her patient, jaws tight against the pain. There was no discharge and the smell was gone.

The wound was healing well. However B'Elanna was worried she had cut more than just a few muscles. It was clear Kathryn had no feelings in her hand and fingers. Neither women had said anything.

Janeway helped the Engineer tighten the clean bandage and settled down to eat. "These animals are smart but not enough to realise our spears were useless. They've seen them in use before. I think they've met a species which uses weapons to hunt or defend itself. I wonder if the Voth know of its existence," she mused.


	5. Chapter 5 - First Contact

**Chapter 5 – First contact**

Chakotay swore under his breath as he hit the top of his head on the sloping ceiling. Whoever had designed the Baxial had not left much room for anybody taller than the Talaxian. The two humans were making good use of the dermal regenerator the medic had brought along with his medical supplies.

Chakotay and Tom were both crouching at the back of the bridge, careful not to appear on the ship screen. Neelix was at the helm, talking to a Voth official in rapid sentences and moving his hands around a lot.

"But I am telling you, kind officer, that I have permission to come and deliver my wares to this system. It is regrettable that your colleague can't remember this ship. I am sure a space like yours is very busy and your border people must be in great demand. It's good to find myself in such a secure and safe environment for once. You won't believe some of the neighbouring systems I've visited. Crooks and thieves all of them if you ask me and…"

Neelix' voice droned on.

Most mammalian traders the Voth official dealt with were respectful and more to the point silent when not being spoken to. She did not recognise the species this talkative specimen belonged to. They all looked the same anyway. With the end of her shift drawing close, she relented.

"Baxial, I'm sending you the authorisation to enter the Ondarian system." She lifted a clawed finger, interrupting the flow of thanks from the very annoying hirsute male on her screen. "But you'll need your credentials in order when you leave. On your way now."

She terminated the communication, already forgetting the exchange.

Wiping his brow, Neelix slumped in the chair. The two humans joined him, chuckling in good humour.

Tom gave the Talaxian a pat on the back. 'Neelix, I've never seen such skills. This is the third hail you've turned around. And now we've got permission to visit the nearest system to the Mother Planet. A masterful display."

The Talaxian beamed as Chakotay added his compliments. Then, he entered the Ondarian system coordinates in the Baxial's navigation system and set course.

Carefully avoiding impaling himself on a ceiling knob, Chakotay relaxed as he sat near Voyager's pilot. After five days navigating through Voth space, they were only a few parsecs from their destination. Everything was going to plan.

###

Unfortunately, their plan did not include how to get the women off the Mother Planet with the City Ship in a low geostationary orbit over the only continent of that world.

Having managed to creep through the uninhabited system without being intercepted, the Baxial remained well within the sensor shadow cast by the large planet. From their hideout, all they could see was water underneath the hull and they could not extend their sensor sweeps without breaking cover. So close, Chakotay thought, and yet they were unable to locate their missing crew members, let alone retrieve them without putting them in further danger.

Once again, Tom had suggested making a break for it and once more the Commander had refused. He was waiting for the right opportunity, hoping he would recognise it on time. It reminded him of his piloting days with the Maquis when he had used the Val Jean for many daring forays like this one. He was now more confident of the Baxial's capabilities but it was the condition of the missing crew he was most concerned about, having learnt much about the stifling environment on the surface.

"I am picking up a Voth communication stream from the planet, Commander. It's focused on the City Ship, but it's bouncing off the upper levels of the atmosphere. I think we can eavesdrop on it, at least for a little while."

"On screen, Tom."

At first, he could not see anything that made sense. A choppy sea of greenery hugging the side of an enormous mountain, followed by a hair raising descent through the canopy of immense trees.

"Looks like a low tech version of an eye camera. The ones that pester famous figures and politicians back home," Tom remarked.

"I wonder if that's what Odala meant when she said our inferiority would be demonstrated to Council. This may be their way of keeping track of what the Captain, B'Elanna and Seven are doing down on the surface," Chakotay reflected.

"You mean that the eye is streaming what's happening to them?" Tom asked, suddenly very focused on keeping the link open.

The eye glided past a great wall of tightly joined stones that rose up among the trees. Some of the masonry had fallen to the ground and was almost entirely covered by the wild vegetation.

"Look." Neelix pointed out a humanoid shape climbing carefully down into the deep afternoon shadows thrown by the wall. The three men watched as another individual appeared on the screen, walking along the sandy bank of a large river.

"That's a Starfleet tank top!" Tom exclaimed, zooming in.

"Dark hair. See, it looks like dark hair," Neelix said, squeezing the young man's upper arm.

"B'Elanna. It's B'Elanna. She's alive. Oh, god, she's alive." Tom punched the ceiling as he continued to devour the screen.

Chakotay sat silent at the back. As relieved as he was to know B'Elanna was safe, he wanted to see somebody else, someone with hair a shade darker than the sunrise over the water.

Just then, the first figure came walking into the light. "And that's the Captain," Neelix said quietly.

Chakotay breathed out, transfixed by the sight. It was Kathryn. She was alive.

"Any chance at audio, Tom?"

"No Commander. Visual only. But I can try to increase the definition."

The young man swore as the vision got blurry. When he managed to get the transmission back, B'Elanna had disappeared while Janeway was now fossicking among a pile of logs, beached on the river shore. After a few minutes, she put a hand over her brow, looking straight at the camera, unaware of being watched by three of Voyager's crew.

Then the signal broke off abruptly, leaving the men cursing.

"Re-run the recording, Tom. We need to know what they were doing," Chakotay asked.

They spent an hour going through the five minute recording frame by frame, commenting on what they saw. It was clear that the women had come down the river on a raft they were now dismantling. They manifestly intended to stay on land. The men could not agree on whether the location had any particular significance apart for the presence of the massive wall, most probably the work of an ancient Voth civilisation.

"Perhaps they just saw it as they went past and decided to explore?" Neelix proposed.

Chakotay could not help thinking there must be more to their landfall than looking at some Voth archaeology, but he had very little to go on.

"I can't see Seven anywhere," Tom said, running the recording again. "B'Elanna seems okay, but the Captain... There's something wrong with the way she is picking up stuff… See there, she's using her left hand only," he pointed out, freezing the frame. "There is something around her right arm. Looks like a dressing of some sort."

He quickly realised that Chakotay might not be welcoming the news of an injured Janeway. "But it doesn't seem to be slowing her down," he added lamely, annoyed at his big mouth.

Chakotay nodded curtly, pushing his worry away. There was nothing he could do and Kathryn looked all right otherwise. For the moment.

"Isn't this great!" Neelix said, oblivious to the awkward exchange. "They are alive and we know where they are. I say that's great news, Commander."

"Except that we can't get to them without the City Ship firing at us," Tom said.

While Chakotay shared the pilot's disappointment, Neelix was also right in his cheerfulness. That they'd found the women alive was invaluable news. "How come the eye zoomed on B'Elanna and the Captain so specifically?" he asked.

"Good point, Commander. There's no satellite network around the planet, otherwise the Baxial would have been discovered by now. The Voth ship could be scanning the planet of course, but they could also use a tracking device. Quicker and more reliable. Now that I think about it, the eye seemed to be only following the Captain. When B'Elanna left, the camera didn't move. Captain Janeway must be carrying the tracker," Tom answered.

He frowned. "I don't understand why she hasn't got rid of it. Why allow the City Ship to receive the transmission? Feels like when I was in the penal settlement in New Zealand to be under surveillance like that."

"Because she made a deal with Odala. 'Let Voyager go and I'll stay. You can watch me struggle and die to help safeguard your precious Doctrine if it means Voyager can leave Voth space'. That's why she's down there doing nothing about the eye. And that's why they are on the move. Keeping the Voth amused and hoping Odala will not come after Voyager. But how long can these women survive down there?" Chakotay lamented aloud.

He rammed his fist in the bridge bulkhead, welcoming the physical pain. "Damn it, Kathryn."

Tom added in a soft voice. "The Captain does not know when Voyager will cross the border. She'll never give up."

The pilot was very sure he would never have the courage to sacrifice himself in such a manner. In the heat of a battle to save his friends, the adrenaline pumping? Yes, most probably. But not like that. Not knowing full well you just had to endure on behalf of the crew with no proof they were safe. That took guts and an unhealthy dose of martyrdom he knew he could never match.

"Well, we just need to let them know Voyager is safe then," Neelix said with his usual optimism.

Tom and Chakotay slumped in their chairs.

###

After taking what gear they could carry, the women followed the indistinct trail winding up the side of the giant volcano. That there was a path at all had been a surprise, although the ancient wall had hinted at a long abandoned dock swept away by river floods over eons. They set on the track hoping it would lead them to the beacon they could no longer see. They trudged in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

After days spent on the water, B'Elanna's feet turned blood raw within the first hour of walking. She was sure she had managed to step on every sharp rock and stick laid across the rough cobblestones. What was getting to her most however was the gloomy soundless forest. She could hardly make out Seven and the captain ahead of her in the spectral light that oozed down from the hidden sky. There was a malevolent feel to the trees bending over the tiny humans like twisted vindictive giants. Low spiny branches and strangling vines blocked their way at every step and the three women took turns slashing at the undergrowth to force a passage through. B'Elanna was already regretting the days rafting down the river.

Seven faltered in the late afternoon, her strength sapped by the prolonged physical work and missing too many regeneration cycles. The former Borg got rapidly worse as her implants shut down one after the other. Kathryn and B'Elanna tried to help her but she soon collapsed, curling in a foetal position where she fell.

Taking in account the much longer day cycle of the planet, the engineer estimated that Seven had been functioning for ten Earth days in a row without regenerating. She checked on the blond woman whose condition was well past her meagre medical skills. The would-be medic was not optimistic as to the Seven's chances of survival but she kept her counsel to herself. Janeway had slumped near the prone woman, her pain at losing her friend plain to see.

Unable to comfort the Captain and needing to do something, B'Elanna left to set a few snares before night came. Since they'd arrived on the planet, Janeway had argued the abundant fruits and seeds were likely to be highly poisonous as natural protection against the many herbivores. On the river, they had fed exclusively on the plentiful fish and crabs. But the high protein diet was not sufficient to meet their needs, and they had been losing weight alarmingly fast. Now it seems, they could add starvation to their woes. B'Elanna had not seen any large animal in the darkness of the forest, and the small ones were proving elusive.

Returning with a lizard, B'Elanna quickly prepared it over the fire. She ate alone, the Captain waving her away. She then dozed on and off during the night. Janeway kept watch, a silhouette against the low flames.


	6. Chapter 6 - Discoveries

**Chapter 6 – Discoveries**

"Commander, Tom, the transmission's back," Neelix yelled. In the confines of the small craft, his voice sounded like a red alert.

Tom pulled his long legs off the helm, his fingers already finding the signal. 'Got it, got it," he said as Chakotay shoved his large bulk between the two men.

The screen opened up with the same steep descent into the green jungle somewhere below the City Ship. The women were breaking camp in the middle of a small clearing, far from the river. A fire smouldered on the side, a pile of leaves nearby indicating a sleeping place. B'Elanna and the Captain were busy making something that the men could not quite make out, using long branches and lengths of thin lianas.

"Something to carry their gear?" Tom speculated. He could not see what the women could need to take with them that needed special treatment.

It was Neelix who pointed out the prone figure a few feet away from the fire. As if responding to their desire to investigate, the eye dived then moved slowly around Seven's prostrate body like a vulture discovering a recent kill.

"They are making a stretcher to carry Seven," Chakotay said.

"But she does not look injured. She's just sleeping," Neelix noted.

"She's gone too long without regeneration," Tom argued. "Her implants have shut down. She can survive a couple more days according to the Doctor, but not much longer without an injection of nanites. We need to get them out very soon."

The vision went all shaky. The three men jumped back as two angry icy blue eyes bore down on them.

"I can't quite make out what the Captain is saying," Chakotay said, frustrated. "Must be a message for the Voth."

Tom smiled despite the fury showing on Janeway's face. "It's a message all right, but not one the Voth would really want to hear. I hope they don't have a Klingon translator on board the City Ship. If I am lip-reading her well, the Captain is comparing Odala's ancestors to carcass-eating maggots."

The eye went tumbling in the air before gaining some height outside of the woman's reach. Janeway gave it a last glare before turning her back to it.

B'Elanna had already lifted Seven into the finished travois. Janeway made a move to harness herself to the makeshift stretcher but the engineer hoisted both straps on her own shoulders instead. What looked like a heated argument broke out between the two women.

"Oh oh," said Tom. "That's not a good idea, B'E."

B'Elanna did not budge. Clearly exasperated, Janeway picked up her gear briskly and charged up the path as if her rage could melt all obstacles. The transmission stopped abruptly.

"I wonder what that was about," Tom asked, curious. He had been impressed by B'Elanna's calm when faced with a very angry and frenzied captain.

Chakotay had a pretty good idea of what was going through Janeway's mind. Losing a crew member always hit her hard, but Seven was more than that to Kathryn. He knew the captain felt keenly responsible for the former drone, after having cut her off the Borg collective. And now, Janeway was watching her die and there was nothing she could do. Death was the ultimate price to pay for her decision to undertake the challenge, with the Voth looking in from the front row.

"We will wait another day. If the situation has not changed, we'll break cover and attempt to rescue them. If the Baxial isn't shot down immediately, we may have a chance to get them back here and treat them. After that..." He did not need to finish his thoughts.

###

B'Elanna tripped on a loose stone, yanking the poles behind her. She stopped to check that Seven was secure. Lacking all manners of tricorders and deep scanners, the Chief Engineer could not tell if the former drone's condition was getting worse or not. The Borg equivalent of a coma, the young woman thought with growing hopelessness.

She brushed off a few leaves from Seven's hair, recollecting their long and frank discussion the night Kathryn had collapsed. The truce between the headstrong women had held, each bending to the other's ways of doing things as they both cared for their friend. An unlikely closeness had emerged between the two women, until Seven had fallen ill, leaving B'Elanna deeply unsettled.

She could hear Kathryn forging ahead, hacking at the vegetation. The older woman had claimed that she should be the one to pull the travois because 'she deserved it', whatever she meant by that. In her state, she had been no match for a half-Klingon, even one who was hungry and bone-tired.

Readjusting the straps, B'Elanna bent forward, immediately feeling the strain on her shoulders. The stony path ahead was already cleared of low branches so she focused on walking, one step at a time. She was not sure which was the most arduous task, pulling Seven tied to the poles or trying to reason with an enraged Janeway.

After a few steps, she noticed the forest had gone eerily quiet. Her Maquis training kicked in. She carefully set Seven down before jogging silently up the path, spear in hand.

The narrow, uneven trail the women had been following since their river landing merged abruptly into a much wider and well-maintained road which stretched underneath the dense tree canopy. B'Elanna could hear Kathryn's voice ahead, mixed with others. Creeping slowly past a large leaning tree, she came face to face with the sharp metal tip of a lance aimed straight at her. She dropped her flimsy weapon and stood with raised hands, hoping the alien would understand the universal sign of surrender.

"Come and join us, B'Elanna."

A dozen nude and painted aliens surrounded Kathryn. They were all heavily armed with primitive but efficient looking weapons including bows and arrows, boomerangs, bolas and machetes. They seemed to belong to different humanoid species, none of which B'Elanna recognised and they all looked very young. A couple of individuals were more than a foot taller than the women, including the one pointing his spear at her. He was carrying her weapon now.

Janeway was talking quietly although the aliens manifestly did not understand her words. A tall girl with the small breasts of an adolescent approached confidently and inspected the women's spears, passing them to the others. They touched the blackened ends and laughed.

"Who are they?" B'Elanna asked, frowning at the youth's dismissal of the crude poles. Despite their fierce appearance, this was no war party. Apart from the lack of clothing, they looked like a bunch of high-spirited teenagers on a camping trip. They were well fed too, she noticed. In contrast, both women were gaunt and exhausted.

"Not Voth, that's for sure," Kathryn answered. "The real question is where do they come from," she added with a wistful tone in her voice.

"Hopefully not too far. We could do with a decent meal and rest after climbing up this mountain for two days," B'Elanna said.

The girl started up the path, motioning the women to follow with exaggerated hand movements, speaking loudly and slowly as if to dim-witted savages. Kathryn shook her head. She pointed to herself and to B'Elanna, holding two fingers up. Then she put up one more and indicated the direction they had both come from.

"Go ahead and get Seven, B'Elanna. I'll wait here," she said.

The adolescent talked rapidly to half a dozen youths who sprinted after the Engineer. They were back soon after, bouncing the stretcher on their shoulders.

"Captain, the way they are going they'll destroy the travois. You better stop them," B'Elanna shouted, running out of breath behind the bearers.

Janeway rapidly moved in front of the over-enthusiastic group with an open hand, stopping them in their tracks. B'Elanna could not help herself but smile as the Captain easily asserted her authority on the excited bunch, without any need for words. With signs of apologies, they gently deposited the unconscious woman on the ground and soon disappeared down the road, leaving the young girl and the tall lanky boy behind.

The two women tightened the lashes holding Seven. "Well, I suppose they don't believe we pose much of a threat," Kathryn noted, picking up her gear.

Using her spear as a hiking pole, B'Elanna hitched herself back to the stretcher. They started their long walk up the mountain side with their newly found guides.

###

The girl's name was V'Otat as far as Kathryn could make out, while the young male answered to Perol. B'Elanna's name had been easy for them to pronounce but their attempts at saying hers stopped at J'way. She was happy with that.

The youths made a game of pointing out and naming many things around them as they walked past. She forced herself to learn a few of the words while helping pulled the travois as the afternoon wore on.

In between the vocabulary lessons, she apologised to B'Elanna for her outburst in the morning. The young woman looked very relieved, which made Kathryn feel even worse. She had let a friend down.

In return, B'Elanna talked about how she was worried about Seven. She did not go into the details as to why their conduct towards each other had undergone such a remarkable change but Kathryn was touched by B'Elanna's concern.

The path became steeper and the forest opened up as the humidity and temperature decreased. On leaving the tropical jungle, Kathryn indicated to the fitter and younger aliens that they needed to rest for a while.

"Their weapons are very well made. I don't recognise the metal they use though," B'Elanna said, after checking on Seven. She sat down, picking twigs and gravel off the soles of her sweaty and bloody feet.

The spears had long metal tips held in the wooden shafts with thin pins. The arrows Perol was carrying were made of a lighter coloured metal, the points carefully etched. The edge of their machetes was sharp, the handles individually carved to fit their differing numbers of fingers.

Startled, Kathryn noticed a pair of large claws among the weapons they both wore on a thin leather string around their hips. She pointed at them, horrified.

The two young aliens smiled widely. V'Otat took one of the claws off her belt and placed it between the first and second toe of her four-toed foot. Perol stood all excited and pretended to throw an arrow at her. She growled and jumped at him, her armed foot nearly slashing open his abdomen. He moved back quickly, threatening her with his spear. Holding on to the weapon between her arm and body, the girl fell on the ground where she laid still, her eyes closed.

The young man took a long metal knife out of a scabbard and pretended to cut the long claw off her foot. He held his trophy high in the air and made whoop whoop sounds, copied enthusiastically by V'Otat. Then they pointed to the tattooed crescents on their upper arms, a stylised version of a raptor's claw.

The women's jaws dropped. Then Janeway laughed and clapped her thigh with her good hand. The youngsters joined her, looking smug. V'Otat handed the claw to Kathryn, gesturing she could keep it. The two young aliens pointed at the sun dipping behind the trees and beckoned the women to get going.

"These people hunt raptors. This is incredible," Janeway said, admiration in her voice. She plunged her pole among the stones to get some grip, sharing the hard work of pulling the travois with B'Elanna.

"You were right. That's why the raptors did not attack us once they saw our spears. But those are just kids. Why would they go and kill those beasts?"

"Maye it's a rite of passage for them to hunt a raptor and claim the claws," Janeway wondered. "Chakotay has told me of tribes on Earth where young warriors used to undertake similar tests of courage before they could be welcomed back into their community as adults. It would explain the tattoos and the claws."

It could also be the reason why they had not seen any large animals since they'd made landfall, she thought. There must be many more of these hunter-gatherers to strip an entire area of animal life.

Where did they come from? Why so many different species? Even those two did not belong to the same race. They were highly intelligent and crafted excellent tools. Where did they get the metal? Mining ore and casting metal were time and energy -intensive activities that jarred with a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. There were so many contradictions.

She suddenly stopped, almost tripping B'Elanna. "We've missed the obvious. How come there are sentient beings on the Voth Mother Planet? They can't have evolved here. They are clearly mammalians."

B'Elanna shrugged off the Captain's need to understand all that went around her. "At least we can ignore the Prime Directive. We are the primitive race here."

They soon left the tree belt behind. Janeway found herself blinking in the low sun, a vast sea of boulders in front of them. They must be getting close to the beacon, she thought.

She wondered why it was so important to reach their goal now, her determination sapped by the never-ending toil and pain. The journey had taken too long. Seven was dying. The society V'Otat and Perol belonged to might not approve of two alien women with little survival skills tinkering with the beacon.

Janeway lifted her head at the gigantic sky sprawled above her. _Don't come after us, Chakotay. Guide Voyager back home. Please, stay safe._

She continued walking. The path under her aching feet felt smoother, flatter. Stones of different shades of grey merged with volcanic ash on the sides.

The temperature dropped. She could see her breath in the fresh sharp air. B'Elanna was now shivering, her tank top too thin to keep her warm, while the two young aliens seemed impervious to the cold.

A sharp bend. The road snaked between ponds of boiling azure water, fumaroles filling the area with foul gases. They hurried past as fast as they could.

Another bend and they faced a wall of similar construction to the one they had seen near the river, the immense stones packed together with no trace of mortar. The length of the wall disappeared into the steam emanating from dozens of hot springs hiding the sunset. The youths strode off at a trot, soon disappearing in the distance.

Janeway heard a buzzing noise behind her. The eye had re-appeared, busily inspecting the stonework. She begun to worry about what the Voth would make of the two mammalians and what may lie behind the rampart. Her gut feeling was that the Voth had no idea there were mammalian sentient beings on their ancestral planet. She signalled to B'Elanna to slow down, knowing the eye would keep pace with them.

Walking parallel to the wall in the dimming light, the women came across a wooden door kept ajar by a spear. The women stopped just inside the entrance. Their two young friends waved, standing on a vertiginous staircase hugging the side of a lopsided caldera hundreds of metres wide.

Gently putting Seven down on the small platform abutting the door, the women contemplated the sight in front of them, the noise overpowering after so many days hearing only animals and the wind.

Janeway saw what had guided her to this place: an ancient tower jutting from the far sidewall of the volcano, beaming its light onto the surrounding plain. Roads radiated away through massive gates on either side of the tower. The bottom of the volcano bowl was crowded with squat buildings. A forest of chimneys blew white clouds in the air, mixing their fumes with the natural discharges outside the caldera wall, making the small town impossible to see from above. Downlights illuminated a web of busy streets, vehicles dashing among the throngs of clothed humanoid figures of all sizes.

A rhythmic beat throbbed through the metal platform as B'Elanna shouted something about steam power in her ear. This was no hunter-gatherer society, Janeway realised. It was an early industrial civilisation sharing the planet with dinosaurs. A mammalian civilisation which the Voth knew nothing about.

She glimpsed the eye sneaking past from behind her. Grasping her spear, she smashed the device. She could not be the one responsible for revealing their presence to a vengeful Odala.

###

 _That's my cue_ , Chakotay realised as the glimpse of the alien city disappeared from the Baxial's screen.

"Neelix, plot a course straight for the City Ship at half-impulse. Power down all weapons. No shields. Tom, open a channel to the City Ship," he ordered, determined to make the most of the opportunity. He was counting on the Voth being in a state of shock, but he knew it would not last long. Best to give them something extra to worry about.

"But, that's suicide, Commander. They'll see us and just open fire," Neelix said, concerned about the sudden change of tactics.

"No time to argue. Tom, take over."

"Yes sir," Tom answered, shifting his tall frame to the ship helm. Neelix moved aside, dumbfounded.

"Channel open, Commander," Tom said, wondering what Chakotay had in mind but trusting him unreservedly. What he had seen was incredible. Who would have thought there was a whole town on that planet? Why had the captain destroyed the eye? It did not make any sense but he was happy the three men were taking the initiative to do something, anything to get the women out.

"This is Commander Chakotay from the Baxial. I bear witness, I repeat, I bear witness to the existence of a mammalian city in the midst of the Voth system. This is Commander Chakotay. City Ship, please respond."

"Repeat on all channels, Tom. Once in visual range of the City Ship, slow down to quarter impulse. Stop a hundred kilometres from their position."

"One hundred kilometres, Commander," Tom repeated.

"I'll take over the comms, Mr Paris," Neelix said in a resigned voice. These usually well-intentioned humans had gone mad, but if nobody was going to explain what was going on he could at least make himself useful.

The face of a female Voth appeared on the screen. "I acknowledge your hails, Baxial. I am Elder Rayla. What is the reason for your presence in this prohibited system?"

 _Do or die._ Chakotay sat up as straight as he could.

"Elder Rayla, we have intercepted the transmission from the surface and we know of the existence of hundreds of mammalians on the planet below. I am relaying that information to Voyager, my ship, currently located beyond the Voth border. Your neighbours may want to know why many of their compatriots are being held within your territory."

From what he knew of the Voth, there was no way they would have allowed mammalians on their prized planet. Hence, nobody else knew either. Maybe he could exchange Voyager's silence for the freedom of the three women stuck down there. Although that would then make the mammalians on the planet a target for Voth ire. The consequences of his support to Gegen ran deep.

"I recognise the name of your ship. You are the humans Council put on trial for heresy. Nothing in the plea deal your Captain made with Odala indicated you could return to our space. Your presence here is unacceptable."

Chakotay breathed out slowly. The Elder was taking the bait. Rattled and unsure about how to proceed with the astounding news, she was going down the traditional path of protecting her precious rules and protocols. However, before he could capitalise on the Voth's dogmatism, Rayla was interrupted. She listened to something behind her then turned back to the screen, her features unchanged save for a purple tinge.

"Your transgression will have to wait. The Prime Elder wishes to hear what you know about the mammalian invasion of our sacred planet. The Baxial is to maintain its position. You, human Chakotay, will be transported to the City Ship."

The screen went blank.

"You know we can't reach Voyager from here," Tom said with a grin.

"We know that, but they don't," Chakotay said with a thin smile before he disappeared from the bridge.


	7. Chapter 7 - Undercurrents

Chakotay found himself in the vast Voth council chamber he was beginning to know too well. Sentries surrounded him and slapped a Voth combadge on his uniform top. He glimpsed a smaller figure walled in by another group of guards.

"Kathryn," he shouted as he lounged forward. The Voth guards pushed him into a chair before he could reach her.

Attracted by the commotion, Janeway turned around, her face going pale when she saw him. _She thinks Voyager has not yet left Voth space,_ Chakotay realised. He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile but before he could talk to her, three Voth walked in and sat behind a raised table, facing the two humans.

"Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay, I am Prime Elder Domini," the large Voth female seated in the middle said. Chakotay's combadge was translating her words into pure Standard with no discernible delay.

"Elder Rayla whom you have already talked to, Commander," Domini indicated the Voth on her right, "Elder Sanrit and myself will hear you on behalf of Council."

Sanrit was an older Voth male, watching the proceedings with what seemed curiosity, while Rayla's contempt for the humans was obvious. Chakotay could not read Domini although he thought her use their names augured well.

"Commander Chakotay, we have heard your call about the unfortunate discovery of unauthorised mammalians on the Mother Planet. Explain what you intend to do with this information."

His idea to trade the news for the women's freedom had been rushed and pointless, quite apart from being utterly wrong, Chakotay recognised. His bluff had got him and Kathryn in the chamber, but now he had nowhere to go.

Janeway was looking at him intently. He tried to hide his sorrow at not being able to help her more. Their silent conversation lasted only a few heartbeats, until Janeway dipped her head at him with a small smile, and then stood to face the Voth. "Prime Elder Domini, what we will do with that information is incidental. What surely is significant here is the existence of so many non-indigenous species on the Mother Planet. I ask Council for understanding and compassion of their plight."

Chakotay was appalled by her appearance. Her tank top was torn, cuts and sores on every square inch of sunburnt skin he could see, her bandaged right arm hanging limply. She was smaller than he remembered until he saw her bloodied feet. But her voice was firm, the words true to her principles.

He closed his eyes. She had never asked to be rescued. Instead, she wanted to save another bunch of people. It was the Ocampa all over again. _Don't Starfleet captains know when to give up or is it just her?_ he asked himself, knowing full well the answer.

Rayla leaned over. "How come you want to represent those people, human? You have no common interest with them, no kinship except as a mammalian yourself. Or is it a personal interest so that you will be spared the end of the Challenge?"

Janeway took her time answering. Voyager's fate was still in the balance. Maybe her understanding of why Chakotay was here was wrong but until she had more information she could not diverge from the path she had taken so many days ago.

"My two companions and I are undertaking the Challenge following an agreement with Elder Odala to grant freedom to the rest of my crew in exchange. Commander Chakotay's presence here indicates that our respective obligations may not have been fully discharged as yet. If Council decides I should finish this ordeal so my crew goes free at the end, I will do so."

Chakotay let a moan escaped from his lips at those last words. _Damn this woman. If we ever get out of this mess alive, I swear I'll..._

Janeway looked at each Council member in turn, her voice louder. "What I request is the freedom of all the mammalian individuals currently inhabiting the Mother Planet since it is clear they have well and truly exceeded the terms of their Challenge."

The Elder on the left of Domini spoke in quiet tones. "Why do you think those mammalians were ever the subject of that ritual? Before Odala revived it, there hadn't been a Challenge for more than a hundred revolutions."

"These people are the descendants of mammalians your ancestors sent to the Mother Planet to their likely deaths. They are clearly still living under the conditions of a Challenge that was set so long ago that all, including Council, have forgotten the reasons for abandoning them in the first place." Janeway was sure of the truth of her words. Those people could not have evolved on the Voth planet.

Sanrit and Domini conferred for a few seconds in low whispers, then the Prime Elder took the lead. "We will search Council archives to verify your theory. However, a more important matter, as you noted, is the fact that mammalian species have been found on our sacred planet. The Mother Planet was set aside to protect our heritage, a link to our past when the Voth first inhabited that planet and built a great civilisation from its shores. We have let the species there go wild again, away from any scrutinity. Why should we consider these mammalians as anything else but insignificant barbarians, doing hardly more than surviving among a multitude of much more powerful and advanced species?"

"This will explain why."

Chakotay could not make out the object Janeway was showing them. Domini summoned a guard to bring it to the table. "What is it?" she asked holding a long hooked blade in her hand.

Kathryn stood a bit straighter, a posture Chakotay recognised. If it were not for the horrendous suffering the three women had endured, he would have started to feel sorry for the Voth.

"This is the back claw of a dinosaur species we humans call a raptor, a bipedal predator about my height that hunts in pack. A highly intelligent animal and the pinnacle of dinosaur evolution on its planet of origin."

Rayla countered harshly. "A warning, human. Council did find you guilty of heresy against Doctrine and its verdict stands. We will punish anything that may imply some sort of misguided support to the Distant Origin theory."

"My apologies, Elder Rayla." Janeway bowed slightly in a gesture bordering on insolence.

Chakotay hoped the Voth were not familiar with human body language.

"I do recognise the species you describe," Domini said, cutting off another rebuff from Rayla. "We call it the Slayer. It is written in the Annals that once upon a time Voth leaders measured their valour against slayers during special ceremonies. They were deemed a formidable opponent and many promising lives were cut short by those claws."

"Yes, I know. We met a pack of them on our journey. We only survived because the animals turned away when we raised our spears to defend ourselves. They knew there were weapons and they backed off and fled."

Rayla held the claw in her hand. "This cannot be true. Nothing frightens the slayers. Even the giant killers give way to them. You are lying, human."

"I was given this claw by one of the young mammalians you saw," Janeway continued doggedly. "Each one of those youngsters carried similar trophies on them. They hunt raptors to prove their valour as your ancestors once did. It's also helping them reduce the competition for food. Either way, your slayers have become the hunted and they are afraid of mammalians, Elder Rayla."

The younger female Elder clashed her teeth in disbelief. "Why are we listening to these deliberate lies, Elder Domini? We should let the aliens rot on the Mother Planet after we destroy their flimsy settlement. These humans can go and join them if they are so eager to defend them."

"Eyes open, Elders. These people have the knowledge and the drive to rebuild if you destroy their town. Their society is at an early stage of industrialisation right now and in a very short time, they will take over the Mother Planet, displacing or killing much of its fauna." Janeway said, her voice rising. "Your sacred planet will lose the purpose for which it was set aside in the first place. There will be nothing left except for mammalians getting stronger revolution after revolution, adapting their environment to their needs. They have completed the Challenge your ancestors set for them and in so doing they have, unwittingly, created a much bigger challenge for you. Honour your laws, Voth Elders before it is too late. You must let them go."

Chakotay was beginning to glimpse what Janeway was aiming at but her tactics were putting a lot of faith on the hope that, with Odala gone, the Voth Council would be more amenable to long term changes.

"Then let's exterminate them now," Rayla shouted. She stood and drove the tip of the raptor claw in the tabletop. "Elder Odala was right after all. These mammalians are like flies, contaminating everything they touch. They should all be killed, those two to start with."

Domini drew to her full height. "We are the Voth. Our rules bind us as much as we bind these people to them. We demanded they submit to our laws and they have the right to expect in return that we uphold all that come from those very same laws."

"I protest," Rayla said, a reddish tone suffusing her face and hands.

"A warning to you, Elder Rayla. It would be in your interest to recall why Odala is no longer Prime Elder. Thanks to the Mother, Odala failed in her attempt to get Council to focus all powers in her claws, as she planned for our people to invade our neighbours. Do you wish to repeat her mistake and send the Voth down the path of a never-ending war?"

The younger Elder sat down, eyes averted. "My apologies, Prime Elder. I was mistaken in my zeal to ensure our supremacy remains."

"Zeal indeed. We owe ourselves not to base our decisions on irrational fear of those we deem different and inferior. These people are sentient beings, despite their peculiar physiology. Council will not support a genocide to appease a blood thirsty minority among us."

Domini motioned to the two Elders. "We will confer on what has been learnt." The guards withdrew on a signal from Sanrit, and the three Voth Elders disappeared behind a curtain.

Chakotay moved quickly to Kathryn's side and settled her in a chair.

"Chakotay." Janeway smiled, touching his cheek. "Why are you here? Where is Voyager?"

"The ship is safe, Kathryn, waiting well beyond the Voth border. I came with Neelix and Tom, on the Baxial. I just could not abandon you. You must have known that."

She looked down, avoiding his gaze. "Yes, but I did not want you to come." She lifted her gaunt face. "At least, I didn't fail completely if Voyager's safe."

Then panic appeared in her eyes. "Seven is dying, Chakotay. B'Elanna is with her on the planet. If the Voth refuse to hear reason, I'll be responsible for their deaths and those of hundreds of innocent people. And yours."

"If that is the Voth's decision, there is nowhere else I would be prefer to be than at your side. But I think you may have swayed the Prime Elder." He took her dead hand into his. "You've been heard, Kathryn."

She shook her head, unwilling to feel hope as yet.

The three Council members returned and remained standing, hands hidden inside the sleeves of their robes.

"Humans, we have passed judgement on behalf of Council on the events that have transpired over the past hour. The mammalians will be free from their exile on the Mother Planet and all traces of their existence erased. They will be returned to their planets of origin.. Council will discuss the exact details with their respective governments to ensure our capabilities and their demands align. It will take long negotiations."

Chakotay's mind raced. This was where he needed to make himself heard before Kathryn offered to stay to help with the talks. There was no way he was going to let her do that.

"We thank you Prime Elder for this magnanimous decision. If I may ask, what is to become of the humans currently undertaking the Challenge and those on the Baxial?"

"The presence of heretics in this system is unwelcome. You and your ship will be escorted back to our border. It seems that Odala lengthened your first trip unnecessarily, not doubt to have her victims closer to hand if Council had turned her way," Domini said. "This time we will ensure you leave our territory as rapidly as possible, never to come back."

Her goal reached, Janeway felt empty and light-headed. The day's momentous events spiralled in her mind. "We understand, Prime Elder," was all she managed to utter, holding onto Chakotay.

Domini nodded in return. These humans did understand. They were a formidable species indeed and she wondered briefly about the likelihood of Voth and humans living peacefully side by side on Earth. She forced the heretic thought out of her mind.

It was interesting that it had been Odala's vindictive tactics against these humans that had turned Council around when she had attempted to gain support for her dangerous warmongering. The Voth owed more to these beings than they would ever know.

Despite their erroneous beliefs, the humans had behaved themselves in remarkable ways. The three women had faced dire and cruel circumstances with a courage and steadfast composure that many councillors had empathised with, as they watched the transmissions from the Mother Planet. That daring rescue mission was also something Domini had not expected from barbarians. There was a lot to ponder about long-held assumptions the Voth were the superior species.

"We wish you well, Captain Janeway. We leave you with a token of our respect for your valour and dedication to your people." A guard gave the raptor claw to Janeway who took it with an unsteady hand.

The Prime Elder bowed, then left the room, followed by her two colleagues.

###

Images. That what was all she could remember of the travel back on the Baxial.

B'Elanna, cold and exhausted, Tom at her side.

Neelix, subdued for once, keeping watch over Seven lying unconscious on the floor of the small cargo bay.

Chakotay, his eyes as dark as space. Why did he look so worried?

Voyager's silhouette against an unknown sun.

Home.


	8. Chapter 8 - Happenstance

Back in her quarters, Janeway set the raptor talon and the small stone blade on a shelf. Of all the mementos she had collected in the Delta Quadrant, those two looked the most out of place against the clean straight lines of Starfleet-issued furniture.

Her mind went back to the young aliens who had given her the claw, wondering how they would fare back on their home planets, and wishing them well. As for her, she was back on her beloved ship where she belonged as surely as raptors roamed another time and another world.

She looked around her, at the grey dull walls, the soft carpet underneath her hard constricting boots, the neatly made bed. The air smelt of nothing. A low humming droned under her feet. The porthole opened onto a lifeless void streaming past.

She shrugged off the unsettling feeling that clung to her like tropical heat. The rubber ball the Doctor had given her fell out of her unresponsive fingers. Re-learning to use her dominant hand was going to take some time the EMH had said before discharging her in the morning with a few brisk words. Before leaving sickbay, she had sat at Seven's bedside for a few minutes. The young woman was still sedated, but her breathing was steady and the Doctor was certain of a full recovery within a couple of days.

It could all have ended so badly, Janeway thought. A few more hours on the planet, the Baxial delayed, the new Prime Elder a lesser leader of her people, and death would have caught up with Seven. Nothing she could have done would have prevented those events from unfolding.

And what about next time? She always struggled with the implications of that question, but it was her duty as Captain to ponder its meaning. The situation, the timing, the nemeses would be different of course. But it would still result in people lying injured or dead in sickbay, and their closest friends standing haggard and lost.

Restless, she decided to go and talk to Neelix. The least she could do was thank him for risking his life and ship on a daring rescue mission. Then she would go to the bridge. 'Light duties only' the EMH had ordered. A few hours in the captain's chair while the ship was going through a quiet stretch of space qualified as light duties in her opinion.

###

"Captain. I wasn't… Please come in." Chakotay waved Janeway in his quarters, noticing she was not in uniform. That made his boxer shorts and T-shirt less incongruous but did not answer his question. Why was she here?

"I don't want to intrude on your evening Chakotay, but I need to talk to you. I've brought a bottle of Antarian cider. Replicated I'm afraid. I seem to have accumulated a few extra rations while I was…away."

He had not seen her since spending the night watching her sleep, the scars of two weeks in the wilderness fading away from her body.

Early in the morning, Tuvok had asked him to deal with some maintenance issues on Deck 15 while the bridge was being completely overhauled. He had thought the timing odd but the Vulcan had probably grasped the opportunity to undertake some long overdue repairs while Voyager was waiting for the Baxial. Between the maintenance schedule and doing errands for Engineering at Torres' insistence, Chakotay had been kept busy the whole day.

Janeway sat on the edge of the couch behind the small lounge table. He replicated two glasses and served the drinks, waiting for her to make the first move.

In his opinion, the EMH should have kept her in sickbayfor one more day at least. She was so thin and still could not use her right hand, another reminder of what she had gone through.

"I need to apologise to you, Chakotay. Neelix had a go at me this morning in the mess hall in front of half the gamma shift about the impact my disappearance had had on the crew," she said.

"Early this afternoon, Tom came in the ready room and sounded like his father disciplining a Cadet, telling me I had been irresponsible. Then B'Elanna stopped the turbolift we were riding together to Engineering and just looked at me."

Kathryn lifted her head, a bewildered look on her face. "She wasn't angry. At least, not her usual Klingon-angry. She said Seven had wanted me to know that she was disappointed that I thought throwing away my life was an effective way of dealing with Voyager's problems. Her words I believe."

Chakotay shuffled on his seat. He could not agree more with what Kathryn had been told.

"She said, B'Elanna said, that she agreed. That I was being selfish, keeping my decisions to myself, closing off everybody. I am sorry. I wanted to apologise to you first and—"

He refilled her glass. "Apologies accepted."

That threw her off. She looked at him with blue eyes wide open. "But I still don't understand why..." she stammered.

Chakotay felt his own emotions rise as he watched her flounder. He had been too easy on her, letting her have her own way for too long. His role was not to support all her decisions but to let her know when and where she went wrong. The whole business with the Voth could have so easily ended in disaster.

He had no idea what the senior officers of this ship had been up to but he had an inkling they were as fed up with her reckless behaviour as he was. This was another cue for him to intervene instead of sitting at her side like a well-heeled poodle. Captain or no captain, he had to stop her.

He did a double take. The bottle of cider and a blue dress hinted strongly that she did not want the Captain present, the one always in control. The qualities of the woman were what made her such an exceptional leader, but this evening the two were clearly separate. Maybe she was ready to listen to him.

"They are angry at you because you choose to sacrifice yourself once again to save Voyager. Not that you thought you had much choice at the time, I'll give you that. But you don't realise the effect your decision had on all of us. Neelix, Tom, B'Elanna, Seven, myself. I am sure the whole crew would join the club if you were to ask their opinion."

She kept still, stunned by his bluntness. She remembered the ripple of nodding heads in the mess hall at Neelix' sermon, the sadness in B'Elanna's eyes. Even Tom had looked incensed when he had come to see her. Now she thought about it, it was a bit strange to get berated by the one and only Tom Paris. What was it with Voyager's senior officers? What did they want of her?

"What am I supposed to do? Ask permission? Let Voyager be boarded and the crew taken prisoner without trying to find another way? I am the Captain. My responsibilities don't come with much personal leeway, contrary to what everybody else seems to think." She stood, pacing the room.

"You are the Captain. But that's not the only person you are. People care about you, Kathryn Janeway, and somehow, it seems you are frightened out of your wits that if they do, you'll become weak and vulnerable. Or you will find yourself suddenly incapable of giving orders. Or the whole universe according to Starfleet will disappear into a black hole. So you push us away."

That was getting ridiculous. What else could she do? A Starfleet Captain was responsible for her crew last time she looked, not the other way round, even if she so desperately yearned sometimes for somebody to be there for her too.

Speaking of whom...

"Tom made a mention of your command decision to rescue me," she said in what she hoped was a stern enough voice. "And B'Elanna and Seven," she added, suddenly realising she was imparting a very narrow focus to the whole discussion.

"My report will mention that it was indeed my decision, supported by all the bridge officers present. You've said it yourself often enough. We are a family. You can't stand apart from your family and expect them to do nothing, feel nothing when you disappear." Chakotay answered.

"You need to understand Kathryn," he added with a sigh. "They were very close to be grieving the death of a caring and remarkable woman. They consider you as a friend, not just their Starfleet-imposed CO."

Kathryn sat down. "I said something very similar to Seven while we were rafting down the river. How we would be missed by our friends and how we would miss them," Janeway murmured, tears threatening to spill over the dam that usually kept her emotions well in check.

"My feelings exactly," Chakotay said.

He moved closer and took hold of her injured arm. She looked down at her hand as if it was a foreign appendage. He caressed the cold palm and saw her fingers react slightly to his touch.

"I can't tell you how terrified I was when I thought I'd lost you, Kathryn," he said, massaging her motionless fingers one by one.

She just sat there, absorbed by the gentle sensations of his warm fingers against her skin.

"I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I'd done nothing and abandoned you." He moved his attention to the inside of her wrist. A shudder went through her as he caressed the faint scar running along her forearm.

Something broke inside her. She closed her eyes, letting the cider and Chakotay destroy the last remnants of self-control she possessed. "Oh, Chakotay. I can't.. I won't.. I…" She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his body.

"What are we going to do?" she whispered.

They did not finish the bottle.

###

Chakotay left the bedroom as silently as he could, picking up his clothes from the floor. He discarded the drinks still sitting on the table and got thinking about the Doctor discharging the Captain from sickbay way too early. A bridge suddenly unavailable the day she was back on duty leaving her with little to do except reflect on what might have happened. A second-in-command kept busy in the bowels of the ship so she would be alone for hours on end. Three senior officers tearing into her that very same day when she would be most vulnerable.

 _Happenstance_? he asked himself, his unease increasing. Not on this ship. Not with this crew.

He needed to know for Kathryn's sake. Because if she got an inkling of what he thought the officers had been up to, hell would have no fury like a Starfleet Captain smelling even a whiff of coercion.

Frowning, he considered how to get the information he was after without picking a fight with his senior crew, a fight he might not want to win.

Tom would see through him in two seconds and put on his usual all-knowing smirk on. He needed more ammunition before tacking Voyager's pilot.

Tuvok would point out some obscure regulation detailing the maintenance program of Intrepid-class starships. He would never win a staring contest with the Vulcan.

B'Elanna would just kill him. He could handle an angry Klingon, but she was past being angry at Kathryn, and therefore even more dangerous than usual.

Neelix. Nice guy, Neelix, but he was not looking forward to talking to the Talaxian after spending days cooped up with him on the Baxial.

That left the Doctor.

He checked on Kathryn who was sleeping soundly, her naked body lying face down on the sheets, looking adorably cute. She was beautiful, brave, strong, sexy as hell, tender. He had called her many more things over the past hours, but he had never really thought of Kathryn as cute before. It was a new discovery for him and he loved it.

If this night was never to be repeated, so be it. Foremost in his heart, he wanted her to be safe. But the safety of Kathryn Janeway was a fragile thing indeed.

He left for sickbay.

"Commander, what can I do for you at this late hour?" the EMH asked from his office.

"Computer, lock the sickbay door and bar all communications except for emergencies. Authorisation Chakotay Beta -2."

The EMH blurted out. "Commander, what is the meaning of…?"

"The Captain, Doctor. Tell me about her treatment starting from when we arrived back on Voyager."

"I can't, Commander. It's confidential information. Only the patient and her doctor —"

Chakotay snarled. "Doctor, I can't delete your program. But I will order somebody who can. Or, I can pick you up until your holographic lungs begin to choke. Your choice."

He marvelled at the refinement of the EMH sub-routine program. He had never seen the Doctor turn that shade of pasty white before.

"If you insist. When the Baxial docked, I had to operate on Seven first. Mr Paris had injected her with nanites which stabilised her vital functions while you were in transit but there was much to do. I have to say that re-energizing depleted Borg implants was a challenge I am proud to —"

Taking the Doctor by his lapels, Chakotay lifted him off the chair. The EMH skin colour shifted to a light pink.

"Then I operated on the Captain's arm, repairing the torn muscles and reconnecting the nerve endings. I gave her a sedative and put in an intravenous feed overnight. All three women had lost a lot of weight due to their poor diet and hard work but she was worse affected than Lt Torres."

"What happened in the morning? What made you think she was fit for duty so soon?" Chakotay asked, still holding onto the EMH.

"Commander, could you please let me down? I don't really need to breathe but it's a bit uncomfortable up here."

Chakotay let him fall back in the chair. Then he sat on the corner of the desk, looming over the EMH.

"After you'd left her bedside and before Captain Janeway woke up, Mr Paris came to see me. He suggested I release the Captain from sickbay a day earlier than I would have otherwise advised."

He readjusted his collar, carefully avoiding the Commander's gaze. "His argument was that the Captain would feel more comfortable if she was back on the bridge as early as possible. Knowing the Captain, I thought he was probably right. So I discharged her. Of course I made sure her physical recovery was not compromised and she promised me she would start on some exercises I prescribed for her arm."

There was not much more Chakotay would get out the Doctor. Paris had left the EMH in the dark about his real motives, which hopefully had nothing to do with that stupid betting pool of his.

"This information does not leave sickbay, Doctor. It does not appear on the Captain's medical record and you will not talk to her about it. Is that clear?" Chakotay threatened.

"Of course Commander. There is no reason for it. Mr Paris was also very keen for me not to tell anyone," the EMH said, trying hard to forget that he had just spilled the beans to Voyager's second in command.

Chakotay found Paris in Sandrine, playing pool with a couple of crew members who must have sensed the Commander was not in the mood for chatting. They left the holodeck in a hurry.

"The Doctor told me of your little talk about the Captain needing to go back on duty as early as possible this morning," Chakotay said, leaning against the bar with all the relaxed stance of a grizzly bear. "The Captain also mentioned to me your little chitchat with her today," he added. "She was extremely upset. What were you trying to accomplish exactly?"

Tom swallowed hard. It was really B'Elanna's fault. From the time she'd left sickbay, she had been like a Qo'noS storm. She had told him what had happened to the Captain on the Mother Planet, in between destroying a few wall decorations in his quarters. How many times had Kathryn been injured, kidnapped or gone missing over the past five years? Okay, it had not always been her choice, but there was no point in tempting the gods by being so bloody self-sacrificing. They both cared for the damn woman, so why was Tom not thinking of something to stop her. Because otherwise, she was going to go and see Chakotay and get him to act on his feelings for once even though the big oaf was almost as bad as the Captain.

Tom had relented, mainly because he agreed.

"We wanted to unsettle the Captain instead of just letting her think what she'd just done for Voyager was the right thing to do. Let her know we weren't happy this time. Separately, so she wouldn't think we were all in league." Tom gulped down his drink.

"We?"

"Neelix, B'Elanna, me. Seven in absentia. I talked to Tuvok about our concerns without being too specific in case the Captain went to see him. It was his idea to prevent her from staying on the bridge. We left you out because we thought you were part of the solution, if you see what I mean. We provided the push we thought she needed, but somebody had to be there to catch her. You were it."

"You mean you arrange for her to come to my quarters this evening?" Chakotay asked.

Tom could just about feel the infrasounds of the Commander's voice travelling through the holodeck floor. "We didn't 'arrange' anything, Commander," the pilot answered, frowning. "We would never force Captain Janeway to do anything against her will. Give us a bit more credit. We're just worried about her. As you are, if I'm not mistaken."

 _Have I really just heard right? We meant for you to catch her, not to...,_ Tom thought _._

So, the best Starfleet officers this side of the galaxy core had taken the Captain's welfare into their own hands. _Good on them_ , Chakotay reflected. But she could not be made aware of their actions. If she were to realise what her senior crew had been up to, she would become distrustful and isolate herself for the next five decades of their journey. And she would never believe he had nothing to do with the whole plot.

His mind set, he stood. "You and your co-conspirators were well out of order, Lieutenant."

The change of tack did not escape the fast thinking Paris. "Yes, Commander. I understand that now."

"The Captain has a lot on her mind for the moment. She doesn't need more aggravation. As Voyager's second-in-command, staff discipline is my responsibility. Given the circumstances, nothing will be noted in your files. However, consider yourself warned not to go behind my back next time you have another brilliant idea regarding the Captain's wellbeing. Another ploy like this, not only will I tell her but there will be an official reprimand."

He did not expect Tom to take his threat seriously. He just wanted to erase the slight smirk showing on the pilot's face. "Unofficially, let your friends know that if I hear a peep from anybody about this little conspiracy of yours, I'll make sure the four of you are put on extra cleaning duties for the next year," he added with an evil smile.

Tom's eyes narrowed but he did not protest. He knew Chakotay could make his life a nightmare. "No problem, Commander. I'll tell them. Thank you."

 _Let Chakotay think what he wanted from these last two words. Thank you for not sending us to the brig. Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for caring for the Captain so well, big guy._

He could not wait to tell B'Elanna about their two COs. After he checked where Janeway was right now.

Chakotay left the holodeck quite satisfied with himself. The night was still young, he reflected on the way back to his quarters.

###

The band of feathered dinosaurs spread onto the beach, turning rocks over with their small dextrous hands. Now that the large bipeds had mysteriously disappeared, it was safe to go out during the day and their little troop was already growing in size with the additional food they could collect.

One of the youngsters ran to the remains of the raft and started to rummage through the few possessions the long-gone humans had left behind. A clacking sound alerted a mature female who hurried along the rotting logs after her progeny, her long tail feathers spread out for balance. The yearling was holding a stone blade in the sun, mesmerised by the translucent edges. Together they searched for more sharp stones before walking back into the forest, holding their hoard of tools in their three-fingered hands.

* * *

 _Thank you for the reviews. Hope you enjoyed this AU as much as I enjoyed writing it. And my thanks once again to my beta, Helen8462._


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